


Where the Wild Geese Fly

by Cougars_catnip



Category: Shadowrun
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-22
Updated: 2013-05-22
Packaged: 2017-12-12 15:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/812923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cougars_catnip/pseuds/Cougars_catnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mist has seen something she shouldn't have and now she is on the run.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

The Year is 2058

Magic has returned to the earth. The ancient races of Elves, Dwarfs, Orks and Trolls have re-emerged. Technology has also changed, allowing man to augment his body with artificial enhancements called cyberware. These enhancements can make one faster, stronger and smarter than before.

Mega-Corporations have become nations unto themselves while former national powers have reformed. The United States became the United Canadian-American States after the loss of much of the West to the Native American Nations and the South to the Confederate American States and Aztlan. Technology and Magic co-exist in this awakened world where awesome powers are often kept in balance by those who run in the shadow world, those known as Shadowrunners.

 

Ch. 1

_"Can't see me, can't shoot me." - Street Proverb_

Karina shivered in her small shelter and prayed for the rain to end soon. Luckily snow was a very rare event in Seattle, but even without snow, the wind whipping in from the Pacific was bitterly cold. The boxes she had piled up were slowly becoming soaked and would eventually be no protection at all from the icy drizzle. She pulled her leather jacket, the only legacy she had left from her mother, tighter around her thin form and waited with patient endurance for morning.

Sometime later she awoke with a start. The street had taught her to lie perfectly still until she had identified everything around her. She heard someone sobbing and the sound of fists impacting on flesh. She fought down a sudden queasiness when she located the sounds.

By the reflected light from the streetlights, she saw a beautiful woman kneeling in the alley. Her long hair was tangled in the hand of an ork who forced her to watch as a huge troll repeatedly drove his fists into a once immaculately dressed man's stomach.  
"Tell us where ya hid it slitch, or it's yer turn next,." the ork yelled at the women.  
Karina winced in sympathy as the troll finally dropped the man into the sludge of the alley. She heard a crack as his head bounced on the pavement. Blood ran down his face and mingled with the rain to produce a gory mask. Then a wail pierced the night as his Doc Wagon bracelet suddenly went off.  
"Time's up, slitch!" The ork screamed. "One last time, where is it?" He turned loose of her hair and turned to the troll, "Useless slitch."  
The woman continued to sob in incoherent fear as the troll turned his attention to her. He picked up a room sweeper that was leaning against the wall and rammed it into the woman's mouth. He mumbled something to the ork and pulled the trigger.

Karina smothered a scream and scrambled out of her shelter. Pure panic lent wings to her feet as she ran down the alley, away from the murderous pair. An unintelligible bellow from behind her let her know she had been spotted. As she heard the slap of feet start up the alley she screamed to herself, "Go baby go baby go baby go!" She poured on more speed and ducked around a corner just in time to avoid a blast from the room sweeper. The sound of buckshot ricocheting off the wall urged her to run even faster. She dashed across the street and into another alley. As she rounded a corner she slipped in the muck, bounced off the wall and slammed into a dumpster. With a stifled cry, she pushed off the dumpster and continued her headlong rush up the alley to the next street. As she ran, the panic began to subside a bit and she started thinking again. 'Gotta find a place to hide! If they catch me I'm dead!'

The alley was dim and littered with trash and oily puddles that made navigating it at a run hazardous. Luckily, she knew this neighborhood very well. She had spent the last year and a half dodging gangs, pimps, dealers and various other nasty individuals who wanted to use or abuse her. Out of sheer necessity, she had learned several different ways to out-fox her opponents. Using one of those tricks now, she turned right at the next intersection and circled the block. Then she remembered an alley that ended in a board fence, so she headed that way.

The kids in the neighborhood had scraped a small hole at the bottom of the fence that she knew from past experience she could just slip through. That should slow down the two men following her long enough for her to hide. 'There is no way those slots will fit through that hole,' she grinned to herself. As she dashed down the alley the shotgun boomed again. She winced as chips from the ferrocast wall stung her. 'Oh frag, that was close!,' she thought. 'Time to end this now!' Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the ork barreling towards her, his face set in a snarl and his arms outstretched to grab her. She screamed, threw herself into a classic baseball slide and slipped under the fence just in time to avoid being captured. She scrambled to her feet as his body slammed into the fence. 'Glad I practiced that before I really needed it.' With a feral grin at his frustrated roar, she took off at a sprint.

At the next intersection, she turned left and quickly slipped into a deep set doorway, pressing herself as far back as she could into the shadows. She heard yet another blast from the shotgun and the sound of ripping wood. A minute later, her pursuers came pounding out of the alley. She held her breath and tried as hard as she could to be invisible. She remembered hearing somewhere that an enemy could feel you looking at him, so she shut her eyes and prayed. 'Please God, make them go away.' She held herself as still as possible, sure that they could somehow sense where she was.  
"Where da hell did that fraggin kid go?" The troll rumbled, sounding like gravel in the bottom of a barrel.  
Karina cringed at the malice in his voice. Under no circumstances could she let these two catch her or her remaining life would be short and painful. Risking a peek, she saw them standing under the street light.  
The two men looked around, peering into the shadows across the street. 'Please God,' she prayed 'Don't let them turn around' An eternity later, they decided she must have continued across the street to the next alley. As they ran across the street and disappeared into the night she heaved a sigh of relief. Karina waited until she could no longer hear their footsteps and then headed down the street at a fast jog.

Once she was far enough away to take a breather she stopped and squatted, panting, behind a dumpster. Her hands trembled as she wiped the sweat and rain off her face. 'Frag! Now I gotta find another flop. Way to go stupid, if I had just stayed quiet they never would have seen me. I should know better by now!' Her wet hair clung to her face until, impatiently, she pushed it behind her ears. Then she fell to her knees as reaction set in, and all she could do was kneel in the muck and shake and cry. She cried for the woman and man who had died such a horrible death, and for herself. She could feel her nose clogging up and her chest and throat were hurting, but she just couldn't seem to stop. She did her best to stifle her sobs in her sleeve until, long minutes later, she managed to get her emotions under control. . " Stop it!,' she told herself, ' Just stop it! Get yourself under control and think! You have to find a place to hide out until those guys stop looking for you.' Racking her brain, she decided to head toward the small park where she went every morning to practice Tai Chi. It was almost an hour away by foot, which should be far enough away to avoid the men that were after her. Normally she caught the bus but it was still to early for one. 'Oh God, I really don't wanna walk that far. Ah well, I'm outa creds so I woulda had to walk anyway. If I hurry I should be able to make it in time for class,' she thought. 'Suck it up girl and get movin'. No way I wanna run into those slots again!' She stood up and wiped as much of the grime off herself as she could. Holding her hands under a down spout she washed them. Once she was as clean as she could get herself under such primitive conditions, she cautiously peered out into the street. After listening for a moment, she stepped out of the shadows. Taking a deep breath, she jogged off into the night.

The sky was just starting to lighten when Karina reached the park. Thankfully the rain had stopped while she was walking and it looked as if it might turn out to be a dry day, a relative oddity in Seattle, especially in the winter. An odd collection of people was already gathered for the sunrise class. There were Samurai with obvious cyberware, old people, young people, all races and all meta-types. She joined the group, nodding to a few of the people she recognized. When the teacher arrived, he bowed to the group. They bowed in return and started following his slow motion moves. Karina fell into a half trance as she moved, calm, centered, and alert. When the class was over, she felt much better. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in several days, so she decided her first move had to be finding something to eat and someplace to get cleaned up as much as possible. "Dear God, I hate feeling grubby," she muttered. It had been so long since she had been able to wash all over she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be clean.

Behind a small corner restaurant she found half a pizza that had been thrown out and a couple of husks of garlic bread. "Looks like I won't have to go hungry today," she mumbled to herself as she gathered up the food. "Good thing I have a strong stomach." Two years ago, she would have turned up her nose in disgust at such a breakfast, but it was amazing how a few months on the streets changed your perspective.

She headed back to the park to eat and think out a plan of action. 'First, I have to find a new flop,' she thought. 'Maybe I will get lucky and find an abandoned building.' There was no reason to return to her old haunts, so she decided to explore the area around the park when she was done eating. 'Why didn't I move over here sooner since I am here every morning anyway?' she wondered. Glancing around she saw several people clustered around a group of tables playing some kind of game. She finished her breakfast and wandered over to watch. As she got closer, she realized that they were playing chess. For a moment she couldn't see for the tears. Her father had taught her to play chess before the accident that took both he and her mother and turned Karina's young life upside down. After that, she had ended up in one foster home after another before she finally ran away from the last one. Since then there had been no time for games, only one grueling day after another just trying to survive. For one brief moment she felt an unexpected urge to play but, shaking her head, she turned around to run. As she did, she crashed into a man standing behind her. His arms came up around her to keep them both from falling.  
"Watch it there," he cried.  
"Oh God, I am so sorry," she stammered. The man holding her was tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He had a body builder's physique and she was struck by the air of quiet confidence he had. She started to back up but he kept hold of her and looked carefully at her face.  
"Did you know you are bleeding?" he asked quietly.  
She shook her head mutely, her hand going to her face and neck where the chips had struck her. Looking at her hand she stared at the red stains. She must have reopened the wounds when she crashed into him.  
"There is a shelter a few streets over," he informed her. "They also run a free clinic and a soup kitchen. You might want to have them take a look at that."  
She glanced up at him and asked suspiciously. "It isn't the Universal Brotherhood, is it?"  
"Nope, it's run by a volunteer group from this area," he grinned at her, noticing her sigh of relief. 'She must have heard the rumors,' he thought.  
"Is it bad?" she asked, indicating her wounds.  
"Not too bad, but you definitely should get it cleaned and bandaged. You don't want it to get infected."  
" Thank you for the information. I will definitely stop by there, sir." She smiled up at him.  
The man smiled at the 'sir' . 'Polite child', he thought. After a moment he said, "My name is Sparky. What's yours?"  
Karina looked at him warily for a moment, trying to decide how trustworthy he was. Gazing into his eyes she saw nothing more than polite interest. " They call me Mist," she finally answered.  
"Well, Mist, it is nice to meet ya." He looked her over, liking what he saw. Though she was a bit scruffy it was obvious that she tried to keep herself clean. She was wearing grubby sneakers, a faded pair of jeans, a Seattle U. sweat shirt that had seen better days and a battered leather jacket. She looked like the streets but she talked corp. There was a haunted look in her green eyes, but looking deeper he also saw courage and intelligence. She was about 5'10" with long red hair. As she brushed her hair away from her neck, he caught a glimpse of pointed ears. She was obviously young, but Sparky knew that street kids had to grow up fast. Asensing her out of habit, he noticed something else about her. Her aura was shot through with the red of fear and despair and the yellow of distrust. Swirls of color moved in wildly unpredictable patterns. 'Interesting. She's magically active but totally untrained. I wonder if she knows? A definite study in contrasts, this girl,' he thought, his curiosity piqued. "You had better get yourself off to the clinic now," he told her. "Oh, and be sure to ask for Poss. He might even be able to get ya a spot in the shelter if ya need it. Just tell him Sparky sent ya and he will fix ya right up."  
After he gave her directions, she thanked him again and left the park. A soup kitchen would make life much easier. In spite of the breakfast she had just devoured, the thought of fresh food made her mouth water. 'Looks like today might not turn out to be so bad after all,' she thought, but then the reason she was in the park came rushing back to her and she shivered. 'Don't get cocky girl or you will end up very dead'

Finding a gas station first, she asked the attendant if she could use the restroom. He tossed her the key without even looking at her. Once inside, she carefully washed her hands and face and finger combed her hair as best she could. Looking at her wounds, she realized that Sparky was right. She did need to get these bandaged before they got infected. She stared at herself in the broken mirror. "So girl, should you trust Sparky and take a chance that this Poss guy can help you? To trust or not to trust? That is the question." She giggled at her silliness. "Well if it turns out to be a sham, I can always take off. Right, onward through the fog."

Once she found the right street, it was no problem finding the soup kitchen. She just followed her nose. A large sign hanging on the building said Shelter of Hope. The building looked like a large steel framed warehouse. Windows had been cut in the walls to let in light. A man was busy sweeping the sidewalk and a woman was washing the windows. Karina stopped and stared in astonishment. It had been a long time since she had seen anyone who cared about keeping their surroundings clean.

" He - he -hello,' said a voice behind her. She turned and saw a tiny Asian man who was standing there looking up at her. He was dressed in an ancient pair of coveralls with a faded name tag that said Hermann stitched above the heart. He was wearing a battered pair of combat boots that looked too big for him, and a bright red bandana was tied around his neck. The broom he carried had been cut down to fit his small size.  
She smiled at him. "Hello," she said gently.  
"Th-th- this your f-f-first time here. I-i-isn't it?" he asked.  
"Yes, how did you know?" she asked curiously.  
He chuckled, "Th-th-th-the way y-y-you stared. E-everybody d-d-does at first. B-b-but you w-will get u-u-u-used to it. Y-y-y you go i-inside n-now and g-g-get something t-to eat. Y-y-you look h-h-hungry."  
"Your right about that," she agreed. " I haven't had a decent meal in weeks."  
"Well, th-th- this is a g-g-good place. Y-y-you'll l-l-l-like it. Th-th-they f-f-f-feed ya g-g-g-good."  
Karina exchanged grins with him." Thank God for that," she said. He patted her on the arm and pointed to the door.

Once inside she stopped and looked around. A harried looking man was sitting at a desk, writing in a book and answering a telecom that seemed to beep continuously. No sooner had he finished answering one call than another came in. He was also directing people to different sections of the warehouse. Interestingly enough, she noticed that as busy as he was he never seem to lose his patience with anyone. He seemed to be especially gentle with the old people who shuffled in off the street. She approached the desk and waited until he had a moment. When she asked for Poss, he pointed towards a set of double doors. "He's in there serving breakfast," the man told her. "Go on in." The telecom beeped again and with a sigh he answered it, "Hello, Shelter of Hope. Blaze speaking. How may I help you?"

Karina turned away and headed for the doors. She stepped through into what looked at first to be pure chaos. Long tables were set up over three quarters of the room, and along the back wall was a cafeteria style serving line. Behind that was another set of double doors marked 'In' and 'Out'. People were rushing through them bringing food to the line. There was a long line of people waiting to be served and Karina's nose twitched at the appetizing smell of bacon and eggs and soykaf. Half of the tables were already filled with people eating. It was loud in here with the sound of dozens of conversations. She paused uncertainly for a moment, the decided it was better to beg pardon than to ask permission. She walked up and got in line. Surprisingly it was only a short wait.  
"Eggs or pancakes?" the first server asked her.  
"Can I have both?" she asked hopefully. "Hungry are you?" he smiled as he filled a plate and handed it to her.  
"You have no idea!" she said. "Umm…" Stealing a bite, she smiled at the server. " By the way, I was told to ask for Poss."  
The man grinned in obvious delight and pointed to a blonde man handing out small containers of milk and cups of soykaf. " That's Poss," he told her.  
"Thank you," she said as she moved on.  
"You're welcome."

Poss sighed and rubbed the small of his back, trying to relieve the tension. Every time he worked here it was the same. He felt like he was trying to hold back the tide with his hands. For every person they saved from starvation, death by exposure or random street violence, ten more took their place. He knew, however, that they had to try. While it might not make much difference to the problem as a whole, he knew that it made a tremendous difference in the lives of those they could save. 'Think about them, Poss,' he told himself. ' Just do what you can with those you can reach.'  
"Excuse me, sir?"  
Poss looked up . A very pretty redhead was standing there smiling uncertainly at him. 'Lord, she looks like Aurora. I wonder if they are related?' he thought. " Yes."  
"Are you Poss?" she asked. "Yep, that's me," he answered " What can I do for you?"  
Karina smiled at him hopefully. "I'm Mist, Sparky said I should talk to you. I need some medical care and I need to find a flop. He said you might be able to help me."  
Poss relaxed a bit and studied the girl. " The clinic is open to all and I do believe we have several beds still available in the woman's dormitory. Why don't you go eat your breakfast, and when you're done I'll take you to meet Doc."  
" Sounds good," she turned around and made her way to a table.  
Sitting down, she started eating with single minded intensity. Poss watched her in awe for a few moments. Obviously she hadn't eaten in a while, but even still she was really packing away the groceries. Shaking his head in amusement, he turned his attention back to passing out beverages.

" Doc? You in here?" Poss poked his head into a tiny office. Every square inch of wall was covered with overflowing bookshelves and filing cabinets.  
Doctor Margery Potter, known to her friends as Potshot, looked up from her paperwork and smiled at Poss. "What can I do for you, Poss?" she asked.  
Herding a young girl in, he introduced her to the doctor. "This is Mist, seems she had a run in with a ricochet. I was wondering if you have time to check her out?"  
" Of course I do. I was just taking a few minutes to catch up on some paper work. But I can definitely use a break." Beckoning them to follow her, she led them into the clinic. " Hop up here, Mist," she said, pointing to a hospital bed in the corner. Poss….out." Shooing the man before her she pulled a curtain closed around the small cubical. Karina winced as Doc probed the wounds on her neck. Doc grabbed some gauze and started washing the cuts out with a vile smelling liquid. Karina squirmed at the sting. Doc grabbed her chin and continued washing. " Hold still, I have to get this cleaned out. Yes, I know it hurts, but it has to be done. It won't take long if you will just sit tight for a bit." She smiled down at the girl. " Hmm , well this isn't as bad as it looked." She soothed on an antibiotic cream and then covered it with a soft piece of gauze. " Keep it dry and put some of this on twice a day." Doc handed Karina a tube of the cream. "If it starts to get tender or swollen come back and see me. Now standard procedure for all new residents is a full check up. So stick out your tongue and say Ahh."

After her checkup and being pronounced "surprisingly healthy for a street kid", Doc sent Karina in search of Poss. She found him waiting in the hallway for her. He turned to see her standing there clutching a small paper bag that looked full to overflowing.  
" What did she give you?" he asked.  
" Some kinda cream and a bunch of horse pills she says are vitamins." For a moment she was all "long suffering teenager", complete with sigh and exasperated look.  
Poss chuckled at her antics. " Come on then and let's get you settled."

Leading the way through the warehouse he told her the rules for all residents and visitors. " It's very simple," he explained. " Rule 1: No fighting. This is neutral territory. If you have any disagreements with someone you leave them outside. You can defend yourself if you have to but you sure better not start it! Rule 2: If it belongs to someone else, leave it alone. Rule 3: No drugs, BTL's or alcohol in the shelter. Rule 4: No hostile magic. And finally Rule 5: You do whatever you are capable of to help around here. This shelter is run with all volunteer help and there is plenty of work to go around. Just go to front desk to sign up for a job. Any violations of the rules will get you thrown out of the shelter. Any questions?"  
" No, not right now," she answered. After a brief tour of the shelter, Poss took Karina to the female's dormitory and turned her over to the woman in charge.

That night, Karina lay in a soft bed listening to the activity around her. New clothes and shoes waited in her locker for the morning. 'It's funny how sometimes bad things can lead to good things.' She smiled as she snuggled deeper into the blankets and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Life is what happens while you're making other plans. -Street proverb_

Over the next week Karina explored the area, keeping her eye out for the two men from that night. She had seen no sign of them, which to her way of thinking was all to the good. She took her turn working around the shelter, sweeping the sidewalk, working in the laundry and kitchen and answering the telecom, which freed Blaze up for more important work. Now that she wasn't spending all her time looking for a safe place to sleep or her next meal, she cautiously turned her attention to what her future might hold. It felt strange to be clean, fed and safe, strange but definitely good. She hoped that somehow this would mark a turning point in her life. Everyone at the shelter was very encouraging and she was starting to believe that maybe she could get off the streets and make some kind of life for herself. She spent a lot of time talking to Poss and was slowly starting trust him.

"Magically active? What'da ya talking about, Poss? I'm no mage." Karina stared at him as if he had just grown two heads.  
"Not yet you aren't, but with time and practice you will be.' He grinned at her obvious skepticism.  
"But what if I don't want to be a mage?" She wailed. " Isn't magic dangerous?"  
Poss snorted. " Of course it's dangerous, but so is a gun. And like a gun, magic is only a tool. It all depends on how you use it. And that is what I am going to teach you." He sighed at her woebegone expression. " Mist, once you're active, it doesn't go away. You're stuck with it girl. You have to learn how to use the magic or eventually it will use you." He looked grim for a moment. "And you definitely don't want that to happen."  
"Why not?" She asked. She sat forward in her seat, seriously interested in his answer.  
"Because people will get hurt. In a high stress situation you might accidentally throw a spell higher than you can safely handle and kill yourself with the drain or knock yourself unconscious in the middle of combat." He stated seriously. " Not to mention what a spirit or elemental could do to you if you lose control of one. Ask Sparky sometime what happens if you lose it." He grinned for a second in remembrance. "Now, are you ready to start learning?"  
"I guess so," she said slowly, "but I still have a lot of questions. Like, how in the world did this happen?" She squirmed around in her seat, trying to get comfortable.  
Poss hid a smile at her fidgeting. This was so new to her it wasn't surprising that she was uncomfortable with the thought of being a mage. "Ahh, now that, my dear Mist, is the million nuyen question. How did this happen? Luck of the gene pool, I suppose. You were born with a gene for magical potential. Why do you have green eyes and I have blue? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged.  
"But I know a couple of street mages from the old neighborhood. If I'm magically active how come they never told me?" She said, with an uncertain frown.  
"Maybe you only became active recently. If that is the case I'm not surprised no one noticed before this. Potential can be very hard to spot, especially if you're not looking for it. Nobody really knows just what triggers that potential and makes it active. Most often it happens when you hit puberty, but sometimes stress can trigger it as well." He sat forward in his seat to reassure her.  
"But Poss, I have never done anything the least bit magical." She protested.  
"Have you ever tried to do magic? Magic, like anything else, has to be learned. You might possibly, under very stressful conditions, do something instinctively but it isn't very likely." Poss spread his hands and sat back in his chair, watching her consider this information.  
"Well, no I have never actually tried to cast any spells. I mean, why should I? I never thought of myself as a mage. Except when I was little, but let's face it this is real life, not let's pretend. Or is it?" She giggled, a mischievous look on her face, as she glanced over at Poss slyly.  
"Oh it's unmistakably let's pretend." He grinned back. " You see magic works with your will. If you can imagine it you can manipulate it. But magical theory isn't my strong point. That particular part of your education is best left to someone like Blaze. Personally, theory gives me hives. If it works, that is all I care about. He, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoys long discussions about the theoretical aspects of magic. For now, however, I will start by teaching you how to astrally perceive." He paused a moment to take a sip of his soykaf. Abruptly he stood up and extended his hand to her. "Come on, we are going for a walk. I want to show you something."

Poss led her to the park. They found an empty table and climbed up to sit on it. For a while they sat in silence just enjoying being outdoors. Finally Poss spoke softly. "Mist, close your eyes. Imagine for a minute that everything is filled with energy. Build a mental picture of everything around you. Now open your mind and reach out with your senses." He waited a couple of minutes until she completely relaxed and her aura was calm. "Now, open your eyes."  
Karina opened her eyes and gasped. "Oh, oh! Everything is… glowing! What is it?"  
"You're seeing into the astral. Pretty isn't it?" He smiled at the amazement in her voice. 'This girl is quick. ' He thought 'Should be a fascinating challenge training her. She'll make a good student.'  
"It's beautiful." She replied absently as she looked around. " Poss, why do some of the people have black spots in them? Like those guys over there." She jumped off the table and indicated a dwarf with silver eye covers who stood talking to a tall samurai carrying a pair of Katanas.  
" That is where they have cyberware. The black spots are metal or fiber optics. Non-organic." he told her. Then he sat back contentedly and watched her as she wandered around looking at everything.  
After a time she came back to the table, her eyes alight with wonder and joy. "You know, I come here every morning to study Tai Chi, and I have never seen anything like this before. This is so whiz!"  
"You're in Owen's class? Good, he can teach you a lot about self-defense and Tai Chi is also good for meditation and centering. He's a good teacher and by far the best martial artist I have ever seen. He's even better than Aurora. Speaking of Aurora, I want you to meet her someday. You two look so much alike. But we will save that for another day." He grinned at her. " Back to work. Now that you know how to perceive, let's see how you do with centering." He thought for a moment and then said. "I have an idea. Stand over there and go through some of your katas." He settled back and watched as she started going through the slow moves. Shifting to astral sight he inspected her aura. Very quickly the swirling colors settled into slow moving patterns. It was like watching a ghostly image imitating her, following her every move. The further along in the kata she went the closer the image matched her until suddenly the two snapped together and merged. "Do you feel that?" Poss called. "Now you're centered."  
She finished the kata and came back and sat down next to him "Yeah I did feel something. It was like being … calm and alert and well… focussed, is the best word to describe it, I guess. But I always feel like that when I practice. That's why I love it so much. It's about the only time I ever feel in control of my life. Does that make sense?" She turned and glanced at him with a quizzical look on her face.  
"It makes perfect sense. I feel like that when I'm singing." He smiled down at her. "Now, that is enough for today. I want you to practice centering and perceiving for a few days. You won't be able to use centering until you're an initiate but it doesn't hurt to learn it. Don't try and touch anything while you're perceiving though, just look. Projection is a whole 'nother ball game and I'll teach ya that later. Got that?"  
"Got it. And Poss? Thank you for teaching me. It's been a long time since anyone cared to teach me anything and I…. I really appreciate it." She looked down at her feet, blushing.  
He reached out and with a finger lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "You're welcome," he said. "It's my pleasure. Just see that you learn your lessons well. And if you have questions, ask. The only stupid question is the one you already know the answer to." He grinned at her discomfort. "Now I have to get back to the shelter. You! Go practice and stay out of trouble!"  
"Oh Poss, wait! Look! Do you see him?" she cried suddenly.  
Poss stopped and looked to where she was pointing. Beneath a small bush he saw a fox sitting there grinning at them. The fox sauntered up to Karina and sat at her feet, curling its tail over its paws. Karina gasped when it spoke.  
"I choose you."  
The fox's voice rang in her head like a thousand bells. She stared at the fox for a moment and then sank to her knees in awe. Hands trembling, she reached out to touch but the fox sprang nimbly away.  
It turned and looked straight at Poss. "Take care of this little kit." It said. "I have great plans for her."  
Poss nodded numbly. Then they watched as the fox faded away.  
Karina looked up at him, confusion evident in her eyes. "What was that all about?" she asked in a small voice.  
"You aren't a mage, Mist." he answered. "You're a shaman. A fox shaman to be exact, since Fox just chose you. This does put a new spin on things. I won't be able to teach you."  
"But…." She sputtered to a stop as he held up a finger.  
"Un-uh. Don't argue. We come from two different traditions. It isn't that I don't want to teach you. I simply can't teach you. Other than a few basics. Like the centering and perceiving. Let me think about this for a while. I know a couple of shamans. Let me check around and I will see if one of them is willing to take on a student. In the meantime… Practice." With that he rose and headed out of the park.

Karina stayed at the park for several hours watching the chess matches. She especially enjoyed watching Mickey the reigning speed chess king. It was fascinating watching his aura when he played. She lost miserably when he challenged her to a match but it was still lots of fun to play again. After a while she wandered off to the playground. There were several children around and she was shanghaied for an impromptu game of freeze tag. The game finally stopped when several mothers called their children away. It was only then that she noticed how long the shadows were getting and that her stomach was rumbling. Karina started towards the shelter only to pause when a large figure stepped out from behind a tree.  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't da little watcher." He snarled. "Say your prayers, slitch!" The Ruger Super Warhawk he pointed at her looked more like a cannon than a pistol.  
'Oh frag, It's him! Think girl!' she thought. "Wait!" she squeaked her hand held out in supplication. " I know where it is."  
He stared at her suspiciously. "Ya know where da necklace is?"  
"Yeah, but if you kill me you will never find it!" she told him defiantly. She jumped as a huge warty hand clamped down on her shoulder.  
"Don't kill her, " the ork said. "She says she knows where da necklace is."  
"Where?" a deep voice behind her rumbled.  
"I can't tell you but I can show you." She said quickly.  
Grabbing her hair, the troll twisted her head around and leered down in her face. "Don't frag wit me chica, or I'm gonna make ya hurt so bad that you'll beg me to kill ya. Ya scan?" He shook her so hard that her head rattled.  
"Yeah, Yeah, I gotta it. Just don't hurt me and I'll take ya there! I swear!" she whimpered.

Turner stopped at a light and sighed. It had been a long day and a very tough run. 'Thank goodness that's over.' she thought. The park was just up the road so she decided to stop and just soak up some down time. She pulled into a parking space and set the security system on her Rapier. She wandered over to a table and sprawled out on the bench. Scanning the park out of habit she noticed a familiar figure heading out of the park. "That looks like Mist, ' she thought idly. 'Wonder what she's up to? I haven't seen her for awhile.' Just as she was about to call out to the girl, a burly ork stepped out from behind a tree. Turner sat up and observed their exchange suspiciously. When he waved his pistol in her face Turner realized the girl was in serious trouble. Then a huge troll approached her. As he grabbed her hair Turner caught a glimpse of her face. 'That is Mist!' Turner thought. ' Frag, she's in trouble! So much for down time!' As they forced Karina to leave with them, Turner ran for her bike and followed them at a discreet distance watching for a chance to help her chummer.

Pushing Karina before them they herded her to a nondescript Ford Americar. The ork opened the passenger door, threw her in the backseat, and crawled in beside her. The troll climbed in the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. Shoving his pistol in her side, the ork growled. "Which way?"  
"Head for Berrington Street." She pressed herself against the window, as far away from him as she could get. She cowered in the corner, thinking hard. 'I gotta get away from these guys. They're gonna kill me for sure. What was I thinking, telling him I knew where it was?' The ork watched her with a steely glare. With time to study him, she noticed a scar that ran down his left cheek, pulling up one corner of his mouth in a menacing leer. He was wearing a torn shirt, greasy jeans and a well-worn long coat. Karina's nose twitched at the stink on his clothes. They rode in silence for several minutes until the quiet was shattered by a loud bang from under the car. The troll fought with the wheel before drawing to a stop in front of an old abandoned car that was parked beside the curb.  
"Watch 'er." he said as he stepped out to take a look. "Oh Frag, caltrops! Lank, get out here!"

When they crossed over into the Stormrunners' turf Turner dropped back a couple of blocks and watched them expectantly. The Stormrunners' made a habit of ambushing passing cars. When the car began to swerve she was ready. She quickly made a turn at the corner and sped up. She leaned into the next turn, sparks flying as her pipes dragged the ground. A couple of blocks up she pulled over next to the alley and stopped. She pushed down the kickstand and jumped off the bike.

"Stay put you!" the ork shook the pistol in Karina's face and climbed out of the car. They bent over the tire and talked for a second before the troll opened the trunk to get the jack. He passed it to Lank and reached back into the trunk. Then he dived for cover behind the derelict car as a high velocity round slammed into the spare tire he was holding. Lank joined him as more rounds peppered the street. They returned fire, concentrating on the building across the street. Huddled on the backseat floorboard, Karina cringed as bullets rocked the car.

Turner drew her pistol and ran down the alley just as gunfire erupted up ahead. A large pile of boxes afforded her some cover. She skidded to a stop and cautiously looked out into the street. Muzzle flashes in the windows of an abandoned building across the street marked the gangers' positions. Smoke drifted behind the damaged car. There was no sign of Mist's abductors, but Turner could hear them returning fire from someplace behind the obscuring smoke.

Suddenly a stunner went off and Karina took advantage of the confusion to scramble out of the car. Her ears rang from the concussion of the grenade. More grenades went off adding to the racket of the gunfire. Smoke filled the air behind the car and she couldn't see Lank or the troll. Crouched behind the car she searched frantically for a place to hide. A movement from the alley caught her attention. Turner, a girl she knew from Tai Chi class, was waving urgently to her from behind a pile of boxes. "This way! Quick!" Keeping her head down she dashed into the alley. "Follow me." Turner led her to a battered Rapier and climbed on. "Well come on. Do you want out of here or not?" Turner asked when she hesitated. She threw herself on the bike behind Turner and hung on as they sped off.

Karina sat at a tiny table in Turner's spartan apartment, her head in her hands. 'Oh man, I can't remember ever having that close a call. If Turner hadn't been there I'd probably be dead by now!'  
"So Mist, what have ya been up too? You still going to class every day?" Turner yelled from her postage stamp sized kitchen.  
"Yeah, I still go every day. What about you? I haven't seen you for awhile." She yelled back.  
"Oh, I've been around. Just haven't been able to get to class 'cause of some biz." Turner entered the room carrying a couple of plates and silverware. She slid a plate in front of Karina, and sat down with the other. Picking up her fork, she indicated Karina's plate. "Eat girl." She waited until Karina had taken a few bites before continuing. " Now, what the frag was all that about? Start with who those guys you were with. I saw you meet them at the park. That's how I knew you where in trouble. Who are they?"  
Karina looked at Turner wearily. "It's confusing." She warned her, but, encouraged by Turner's interest, she went on. "It started about a week ago. The guys that kidnapped me murdered two people, and I saw the whole thing. Lank, the ork, kept screaming "Where is it?" at this lady. The troll was beating some guy who was with her. When the guy died, he killed her too. Just stuck a shotgun in her mouth and blew her head off." She shuddered, her face bleak. "I couldn't help it. I freaked out and ran. They saw me and came after me. I got away from them by the skin of my teeth, and I thought after a week of no sign of them that they'd stopped looking for me. But tonight they caught me at the park and they were going to kill me too. I didn't know what to do so I told Lank I knew where the item was. They were taking me to go find it for them, when the tire blew. The troll got out to look, said something about caltrops and then all hell broke lose. I figured that was my chance to get away, and that's when I saw you. By the way, thanks for pulling me outta there." She pushed her food around on the plate before taking a small bite.  
"Null perspiration. What else are chummers for?" Turner said with a grin. " Do you know what they're looking for?" She asked in between bites.  
"Sort of, Lank said something about a necklace." Karina answered. "What am I gonna do now? I only said I knew where it was to buy myself some time." She put down her fork and dropped her head into her hands, looking blankly at her plate.  
"Well, we'll just have to find it." Turner said briskly.  
Karina looked up and stared at Turner. "Find it? We don't even know what it looks like! How in the world can we find it?"  
"Simple, backtrack the murdered couple. You know where and when they died. From what you said, Lank was interrogating them, so the obvious place to look is down their backtrail." She grinned at Karina. "I have a friend who's a decker, she might be able to give us a hand. What'da ya say? Want to go treasure hunting?"  
"Damn Turner, you're crazy. Two murderous trogs are on my tail and you wanna go find a necklace neither of us has ever seen." She said.  
" Sure, why not? I have nothing better to do with my time right now. Do you?" Turner lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.  
"Well, now that you mention it, yeah, I do. Like staying alive!" she shot back with a sarcastic grin.  
"Oh I intend to stay alive. Look girl, your best bet is to figure out what is going on and work it to your advantage." Turner sat back in her chair and clasped her hands behind her head.  
Karina was silent for a few moments, her brow furrowed with thought. "You know, you may be right. And I do have one advantage. Do you know Poss?"  
She asked. "I've heard of him but I have never met him. Why?"  
"Well, he has been teaching me magic." Karina stated.  
Turner's eyes widened, "You're a mage?" she asked.  
Karina grinned at Turner's astonishment. "Not a mage, I'm a shaman, but don't get your hopes up. So far all I can do is something called perceiving. Poss says he can't teach me anymore because we have different traditions but he said he would try and find me a teacher. If he found one maybe they can teach me a few spells. I haven't told him what is going on yet though." She frowned pensively.  
"Sounds to me like that's the first thing we need to do then. Finish up your dinner and we'll go talk to Poss." Turner said.

The two girls polished off their meal and cleaned up the small kitchen. After making a call and setting up a meet with the decker for later that night, Turner tossed Karina a spare armored jacket and a shoulder holster. She rummaged around in a drawer until she found a small holdout pistol and some ammo. She loaded the pistol and held it out to Karina. "You know how to use this?" she asked.  
"No, not really. I mean, I know which end to point at the bad guys but I never had the creds to buy a gun." Karina answered as she took the weapon gingerly.  
"Well," Turner replied " This is yours now, and you'll need it, so you better listen up."  
Karina listened attentively as Turner took her through the basics of gun safety, use and cleaning. Finally Turner declared she should do all right. She slipped on the shoulder holster and wiggled it into place. With a moment's regret she exchanged her leather jacket for Turner's armored one. 'Survival over sentiment. Momma would understand.' She told herself. Then she holstered her new pistol and followed Turner out of the small apartment.

Poss quietly listened as the girls took turns relating Karina's story. When they finished, he sat, lost in thought, for so long that Karina became worried. "Poss?" she said timidly. "You aren't mad at me for not telling you about those guys earlier, are you?"  
"Your biz, Mist," he replied. "Unfortunately I have some biz of my own going so I really can't give you any help other than a bit of advice. Now for some good news. I found a teacher for you. Her name is Mask. She's a raccoon shaman. Here's her LTG. You can use my telecom to give her a call before you leave." He said, handing her a slip of paper. "I think you'll like her. But be sure and keep one hand on any valuables." He laughed at their expressions. "Hey, she's a 'coon shaman, it's just part of her nature. Like being tricky is part of your nature, Mist. Don't worry, she always gives back the stuff she takes from friends."  
"Thanks Poss. I'll give her a call. Now, what's the advice?" she asked.  
"Well, Turner has the right idea about backtracking that couple. You can probably find out who they were by checking the newsfeeds. If Lone Star has identified them they should have released that information by now. If they haven't your job will be tougher. You also need to find out as much as possible about this Lank slag and his partner. Turner, you could check with your fixer. Mist, check with your street contacts. Finding out who they are working for might give you another lead. I really hate to do this to you Mist, but I suggest that you try and find another place to stay. You have to assume that the shelter is compromised."  
"She can stay with me." Turner spoke up. "I have enough room. If you don't mind the couch." She said turning to Karina.  
"Turner," she answered, "Except for this past week, I have been sleeping in the street for the last two years. Your couch will be fine." The girls smiled at each other.  
Poss sighed with relief. "Well that's one problem handled. You need to have a safe house set up as well, in case you have to run. Or better yet stay there. The last thing you want is for the bad guys to follow you two home."  
"No problem, I have a couple of spots we can go." Turner replied.  
"Good enough." Poss said. He got up and rummaged around in his desk until he found a beat up old pocket secretary and two micro transceivers.. He tossed the pocket secretary to Karina. "Here. I know it isn't much but you can use it to keep notes." He passed one of the micro transceivers to her and the other to Turner. "You'll need these too. They're priceless when you need to keep in touch with each other." He showed Karina how to use it and then sat back down. "Now you will probably need the services of a decker as well. If you don't know of any I have a couple of chummers who will work fairly cheaply."  
"That is one thing we already have. A chummer of mine is a decker. Her name is Vixen. Do you know her?" Turner asked.  
"Vixen. Hmm, I believe I've heard of her. She's from Australia right? Tall, redheaded elf, end of her pony tail looks like it's been dipped in silver paint? Dresses almost as flashy as Aurora?" he asked.  
"Yep, that's her. We're meeting her later tonight." Turner answered. " She's a good decker. She's also a chummer and will probably work for a portion of the prize."  
"Don't we all." Poss said with an acquisitive grin.  
Turner laughed. " That's why we're Shadowrunners. Let's face it there sure are safer jobs. If she won't though, I have the 'yen to cover her fee. I am a little concerned about you though, Mist. I don't want to get you killed."  
Karina smiled. "Hey, I've survived this long haven't I? And now I have magic on my side. Just let me learn a few spells and I'll do just fine." She struck a heroic pose.  
Poss held up a cautionary hand. "It takes more than spells to survive, Mist. It takes smarts and luck too. Don't forget that. Owen is fond of saying "The greed and love of an easy cred that figures into nearly all shadowrunners' make up, sometimes wars with the instinct for survival. Old runners refer to this as stupidity." I have to agree with him. You two, excuse me, three have taken on a big job, and you won't survive if you get cocky."  
"I won't Poss." She said. "Really Turner, I won't be dead weight. Even if I'm not a shadowrunner, I have learned a lot about surviving these past two years."  
"Ok chummer, I got ya. Now if Poss is done with us we better get going. Vixen won't wait all night." Turner cast a questioning look at Poss.  
He shook his head. "No, I'm done for now. You two should do ok. Just be careful and watch your backs." He said.  
"We will." The girls choused.

While Karina called Mask, Poss took Turner aside and gave her a cred stick. " This is for Mist. It isn't much. Only 500 nuyen, but she is going to need some cash to work with. Don't let her blow it on junk."  
"I won't." Turner told him.  
"Thanks, just give it to her later. I am going to be out of touch for a few days, so you won't be able to contact me. If, however, things get too hot for you to handle, contact Sparky or Blaze and tell them I sent you. If nothing else they should be able to get you to a safe house where you can lay low." He said.  
"Got it. Good luck on your run." She said.  
"You too." He replied.


	3. Chapter 3

_You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard. -Street proverb_

 

Vixen sat in a booth watching the swirl of people in Dirty Ricky's. She drummed her fingers on the scarred table and scanned the room once more. There was a large crowd in the bar for a weeknight. A trid in the corner blared out the latest Maria Mercurial music vid. Sighing, she looked at her watch. Turner was late. She decided to give her a few more minutes before she left. She glanced over at the door again just as it swung open to admit two women. One was a red-haired elf, dressed in jeans, green sweatshirt, and a battered armored jacket. The other was also an elf with short dark hair and a wicked smile. She wore leather pants, a black sweater and a jacket identical to the one the red head was wearing. Vixen grinned as she recognized Turner and waved her over to the table. "G'day mate. Yer late." She said.  
Turner sat down and scooted over to make room for Karina. She leaned over and flipped the switch on a small white noise generator installed in the wall. Karina winced. She could feel the pulse of the generator in the small bones behind her ears and it felt as if she had suddenly gone deaf.  
"Yeah sorry, we got stuck in traffic. This is Mist," Turner said to Vixen.  
"G'day Mist." she nodded to Karina.  
"Hoi Vixen," Karina said. She sat back, letting Turner carry the conversation.  
"So what've ya got for me? Ya said ya needed me to track down some info for ya?" Vixen asked. She waved the barmaid away before she could overhear the conversation.  
Turner waited until she left before replying. "Yeah, we need to I.D. two murder victims and their killers. The victims died a week ago over near Berrington Street. One of the perps is an ork named Lank. He runs with a troll. Think you can get all that for us?" Turner asked.  
"Sure," Vixen answered with a shrug. "Shouldn't be to much of a problem. Probably be able to get that for ya tonight. Though the perps might take longer. What's the pay?"  
"There you get a choice. Five thousand up front or you can wait and take a share of the prize," Turner replied. She felt Karina twitch a bit and patted her knee reassuringly.  
"What's the prize?" Vixen asked. She sat forward and placed her elbows on the table.  
"A necklace valuable enough to murder for," Turner stated smoothly.  
"Really? Sounds … intriguing, " Vixen said with a raised eyebrow. She indicated Karina. "And yer mate here, what's her part in this?"  
Turner smiled. "It's her prize. She called me in to help her find it, and now we need a decker. So are you in?"  
Vixen sat back and thought about it for a few moments before answering. "Ok, I'm in. Let's go someplace a little more private and I'll see what I can come up with." She stood up and led the way to the parking lot. "I'll meet ya at my place."  
"All right, but I may be awhile," Turner replied. "I have to drop Mist off first. She has another meet to go to. Don't start without me."  
"Will do. Nice meeting ya, Mist," Vixen said.  
"It's nice meeting you too, Vixen. Thank you for your help," Karina said.  
"No worries, mate. I was in-between jobs anyway." Vixen grinned.

Karina waved to Turner as she turned the corner, then she climbed the steps of the brownstone and scanned a list of names posted beside the door until she found Mask's. She punched a small button beside the name, and looked around as she waited for an answer. The brownstone stood on a quiet residential street. A small park took up the other side of the block giving the residents a nice view. She noticed that the street was fairly clean with no abandoned cars. 'Nice neighborhood.' It was a cold, clear night. She shivered in her new jacket, hoping Mask would hurry and let her in. She jumped when a mechanical sounding voice behind her spoke. "Yes? May I help you?"  
She spun around looking for the source. Seeing a small speaker she leaned forward and said. "Umm, My name is Mist. I'm here to see Mask." She licked her lips, waiting for a response. Then she heard a buzz and a quiet click.  
"Come on up. Up the stairs , turn left, Apartment C," The voice said.  
Karina pushed the door open and stepped inside. She stood in an open foyer. To her left was a long hallway and to her right a stairway led up. She climbed the stairs and walked down the hall until she found the correct apartment. When she knocked a voice called "Come on in, it's unlocked." She opened the door and stared in awe. The elegant apartment shone in the soft light cast by a pair of lamps. Midnight blue velvet drapes lined with sheer white lace curtains framed a bank of windows opposite her. Silver ribbons tied the drapes back and small suncatchers and crystals, hung on the curtain rods, sparkled in the light from the streetlight outside. A bookcase filled with books, kick knacks and a trid unit stood against one wall. The carpet was a pale blue and a white leather couch sat against the wall opposite the bookcase. A glass coffee table stood in front of the couch. Matching end tables sat on either end of the couch. Cattycornered to the couch a pretty blonde elf, dressed in a crimson silk kimono, sat curled up in a deep sapphire blue easy chair. She looked up from her book and smiled at Karina. "Hi, I'm Mask. And you must be Mist. Poss described you well." Her deep blue eyes sparkled with welcome.  
"Hi, Mask. You have a beautiful apartment," Karina said as she shut the door behind her and came forward.  
"Thank you," Mask said. "Have a seat. Poss tells me that your a fox shaman." She waited until Karina made herself comfortable on the couch. "Would you like some hot tea?"  
"That would be whiz," Karina said. "It gets cold riding a bike in this weather."  
Mask uncurled from her chair and set her book down on the coffee table. Her waist length ponytail swung over her shoulder and Karina noticed Mask had dyed subtle rings of a darker blonde in her hair, like a raccoon's tail. Mask walked gracefully into the kitchen. She puttered around for a minute pouring boiling water over tea bags and sweetening the brew with honey. Then she brought the cups over and handed one to Karina. Curling back up in her chair, she tucked her feet under the hem of her kimono and took a sip of her tea. She smiled at Karina and said, "Why don't you tell me what magical skills you have already? That will help us determine a course of study for you."  
"I really don't know much," Karina replied. She curled her fingers around the warm cup and tasted her tea. The scent of chamomile wafted up and bathed her face in fragrant steam. "Mmmm, this is good." she said. Mask nodded. "Chamomile is one of my favorites. It is very helpful in calming the central nervous system." She waved to Karina to continue.  
"Getting back to your question, Poss taught me how to perceive and center, but then Fox came along and chose me and Poss said he couldn't teach me any more," she said, disappointment written on her face.  
"He's absolutely right. I can tell you like Poss but believe me, you need another shaman to teach you. Mages approach magic much differently than shamans," Mask told her. 'With them magic is broken down into formulas and equations. With us it is more a matter of intuition. Oh, don't get me wrong, we have formulas and rituals, but unlike mages, what works for one shaman, may not work for you. You have to sort of…. feel your way through it. Sometimes your totem will help you and sometimes it won't. The path of a shaman isn't easy, but I think you'll find the rewards are worth the sacrifices you'll make."

The two shamans sat in companionable silence for several minutes while Karina contemplated what Mask had said. Finally she asked, "Why couldn't Poss tell right away that I am a shaman?"  
"Because Fox hadn't chosen you yet. You see, apart from traditions and mind set, there is very little difference between a mage and a shaman. Before your totem chooses you there is nothing to show a magician which you are. After you're chosen however, a bond between you are your totem develops that makes it obvious to other magic users that you are a shaman. By studying someone's aura you can tell if they're a shaman, what their emotional state is, whether they have cyberware etc," Mask answered.  
"Ahh, that makes sense. So the bond is something you can see?" Karina snuggled deeper into the couch and sipped at her tea.  
"Not exactly see, it's more like you can sense the bond," Mask said. "You said Poss taught you to perceive?"  
Karina nodded. "Yes, this afternoon."  
"Fine , I want you to asense me." Mask waited quietly while Karina set her tea down and sifted to astral sight. Karina's eyes widened . Mask was glowing with power. Her aura slowly pulsed in time to her heartbeat. Then suddenly, as if she had pulled a plug, she stopped glowing except for a faint tinge close to her body. Karina jerked back in surprise.  
"Whoa! What did you do?" she asked.  
"It's called masking. It's something you learn to do as an initiate," Mask told her. "Concentrate now. I am going to slowly unmask. Reach out with your mind and just feel. Don't worry about what you see, just concentrate on what you feel."  
Karina sat up and concentrated carefully. After a few moments she started to get a sense of what Mask had been talking about. It was if Mask had a connection to …. someplace else. Looking down at herself she realized that she too had a connection she had never noticed before. She glanced back up at Mask. The raccoon shaman sat bonelessly in her chair, her head tilted back and her mouth slack. A movement by the window caught her attention. A ghostly image stood there looking out the window. It turned and looked at her. Startled, she realized it was Mask. She looked back at the chair. Mask's body was still there. "What the….?"  
"I'm astrally projecting," the figure said. "Sit back and get comfortable. Relax all your muscles and concentrate on breathing deeply. Then I want you to step out of your body."  
"Step out of my body? How can I do that?" Karina asked with a confused look.  
"Your spirit is what leaves your body. Just try it. I promise you, you can do this." Mask said. She waited until Karina had done as she asked. She carefully watched her aura for the signs of relaxation. When Karina's breathing slowed down to an even pulse, she was ready. Mask whispered softly, "Now, come here." Karina sat up and looked at Mask.  
The spirit shook her head. "No, don't move your body. You move your spirit. Trance down and try again. And this time use your perception. When you have that, reach out and stand up. Spiritually speaking that is," she said with a mischievous grin. Once again she waited for Karina to prepare herself. This time when she called her, Karina didn't move. Slowly she opened her eyes. Than with a jerk her spirit stood up and moved to join Mask at the window. "Wow," she said.  
"Ready to go for a walk?" Mask asked her. Karina nodded.  
"Then let's go." Mask walked through the window and floated down to the sidewalk in front of the building. She waited until Karina had joined her before walking across the street to the park. "We won't go far," she said.  
The park was vivid with color. The trees, bushes and grass all glowed with a soft ambient light. Karina bumped into a tree, surprised that she couldn't go through it. She hadn't had any problem walking through the window. She turned to Mask with a questioning look on her face.  
Mask laughed. "You can't go through living things or the earth itself. Anything organic is solid even in astral space. Some corps use that to their advantage and erect 'living walls'. The walls are planted with moss or lichen. It proves a very effective barrier to mages. Manmade things, however, are another story. Those you can go right through unless they're warded. "  
Together they wandered around the park for awhile. Finally, Karina felt a tug back toward the building. She followed it until she was back in Mask's apartment. Her body was still sitting on the couch and obviously hadn't so much as twitched. With a snap she fell back into her body and opened her eyes. Mask had returned to her body as well and was quietly watching her.  
"Wow, that was incredible," Karina said.  
"It certainly is," Mask replied. " Now, if you're not to tired let's go into my lodge and we'll work up some spells for you. It will take you some time to learn them, but we should be able to get your formulas done tonight."  
Karina jumped up from her seat. "O.K. Let's go," she said eagerly.  
Mask gave a mock sigh. "Kids. You know, if they could bottle that energy they could make a billion nuyen. Oh by the way, here." She handed Karina a pocket secretary. Karina looked down at her jacket pocket and then at the small machine. When she looked up at Mask, she saw that Mask had a mischievous grin on her face. "Got ya." Mask said. Shaking her head, Karina followed Mask down the hall.  
The lodge occupied the large corner room. Shutters covered the windows on the outside while inside strings of colorful beads were arranged like blinds. The floor was soft golden wood with an inlaid circle of lighter wood. A table stood against one of the inside walls and was framed by a round Indian shield on one side and a wooden mask on the other. Hanging on the wall above the table was a staff decorated with fur and feathers and topped with a crystal spear head. The other wall was covered with sheets of vellum that were brightly painted with peculiar symbols and inscriptions. Crystals, hung in the corners, cast rainbows around the room as they caught the light. Mask stopped just inside the door and made a few gestures before letting Karina enter.  
The two shamans worked into the early hours of the morning developing several spells for Karina. At last Mask declared that she had to get some sleep. She showed Karina to her spare bedroom and left her to get ready for bed. Karina sat down for a moment and fell back into the soft embrace of the bed. It felt so good just to lie there. Finally she struggled up and undressed before climbing under the covers. She reached over and switched off the bedside lamp and was sound asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"What do you mean you lost her?"  
Lank shivered at the tone of quiet menace in the voice. Not much scared the burly ork but this man was dangerous. One word from him and Lank knew his days would be numbered. "I'm sorry Mr. Johnson. We was ambushed and somehow in da firefight she disappeared."  
"Find her. And find that necklace. I paid you good money and so far all you have delivered me is publicity and one dead thief."  
"I'm sorry Mr. Johnson ," Lank repeated. " But dat was Turk, not me."  
"You two are a team, or so you told me," Mr. Johnson purred. "What one does, both are responsible for. Are you telling me you can't do your jobs properly?"  
"No sir." Lank said quickly  
"I am glad to hear that. Now go find my property and get rid of that witness. And do not contact me again until the job is done or I will be most unhappy. "  
"Yes, sir." Lank said. He cut the connection quickly and yelled. "Turk! Johnson says if we don't find da girl and da necklace soon, he's gonna take it out of our hides. Let's roll!"

Karina awoke to the smell of fresh brewed soykaf and bacon. Grey light filled the small room and she could hear the patter of raindrops on the roof. She stretched as she got dressed and then padded down the hall to the kitchen. "Good morning, Mask." She yawned.  
"Good morning," Mask said. "Turner called. She has some information for you. She said she and Vixen will drop by later to talk to you." She filled two plates and placed them on the table.  
"Whiz. I hope she got what we need," Karina said. She pored herself a cup of soykaf from the pot Mask indicated , then joined her at the table for a late breakfast. She took a sip and looked startled. "There's something wrong with your soykaf, Mask. It tastes funny."  
Mask laughed. "That's because it's not soykaf. It's real coffee. Expensive as hell but well worth it in my humble opinion."  
Karina took another cautious sip. "I guess so. I still think it tastes strange."  
"You'll get use to it." Mask smiled. Then she changed the subject. "Umm. Mist," she said delicately. "Poss told me that you have been staying at the shelter lately. I don't mean to pry but have you got someplace else to stay? If not, I have the spare room and it would be more convenient to have you here until you finish your training. It's up to you, but if you would like to stay you will be more than welcome."  
Karina stared at Mask . "You mean you trust me here, with all your lovely things? Not that I would, but what makes you think I won't rip you off?" she asked.  
"Two things actually. Number one, Poss trusts you and he is an excellent judge of character. And two, my totem told me to help you." Mask smiled.  
"Well, Turner told me I could stay with her but it would probably be better if I stay here." Karina thought for a second. "At least until I learn what I need to know," she finished quickly.  
"It's settled then. Here is the code for the maglock and I will let the watchers know not to come screaming to me whenever you come in." Mask grinned. "Watchers aren't real well known for smarts, but they sure make great watch dogs. Speaking of watchers, we will go over the basics of conjuring today and you can start learning those spells. If we have time we will also work up a few illusion spells for you as well."  
"Sounds good to me," Karina stated. "What time did Turner says they were going to be over?"  
"Sometime around 20:00. We have plenty of time. Now eat your breakfast. You're gonna need the strength." Mask said with an evil grin. Karina gave her a dubious look and tucked into her meal.

By 20:00 Karina was more than ready to call a break. She sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of the medicine lodge. Her back ached from hunching over her formulas and her mind and backside felt numb. She sat up slowing, arching her back until she heard the vertebra pop.  
Mask winced and gave her a sympathetic look from her chair by the window. "A bit sore? Don't worry, you'll soon get use to it. Tomorrow, be sure to go to your Tai Chi class. It will help you stay in shape and will work out the cramps." She advised Karina.  
"I will. I usually don't sleep so late but for some reason I was exhausted," Karina replied.  
"That's from using magic. I should have warned you about that. You'll find that you'll need to eat more and you'll probably need more sleep as well. Especially when you do a lot of spell casting. Using magic drains you, some spells more than others." Mask told her. "Remember, you're using your will and your energy to direct the mana flow. And that can be extremely fatiguing."  
"Ahh, that explains it. I wondered why I felt so tired. I usually lie awake for awhile, thinking about the day, but last night I fell asleep as soon as I crawled under the covers," Karina said.  
A buzzer sounded interrupting their conversation. "That must be your chummers," Mask said as she rose to answer it. "Let's go see what they have for you."

Once Mask met Turner and Vixen, she laughingly referred to the three girls as The Three Musketeers. Then she graciously excused herself back to her lodge, leaving the living room to the trio. Karina settled back in her chair and waited for them to report on their findings.  
"We got more than we thought we would, Mist," Turner told her. "Seems that one of your victims was a man of some importance. We're still working on his girlfriend. She's a bit mysterious. Not much is known about her. The perps were a little easier. Lank and his partner Turk are known wet workers. Whoever hired them screwed up if he expected any subtlety from those two. But I'll let Vixen make this report since she did all the work and all I did was guard her meat." She grinned at Vixen.  
"Thank you, Turner," Turning to Mist she said, "Victim one: Name: Michael Bradley. Streetname : none. Norm male, Caucasian, 37 years old. Public Relations manager at Mitsuhama Computer Technologies. Lives in the MCT arcology. Seattle native, Born : July 12th,2021. Height: 5' 11. Weight: 194 lbs. Hair: Brown, Eyes, Blue. Cyberware: Data jack.  
Victim two: Name: Victoria Nighthawk. Street name: unknown. Norm female, Caucasian .Age unknown. No know job, no know address, Born: unknown, Height 5'10. Weight : 130 lbs. Hair: Blonde, Eyes: Blue. No cyberware. Has been dating Michael for the last 8 months.  
Prep one: Name: Oscar Brooks. Streetname: Lank . Ork male, Amerindian, Tribe unknown , Possibly Salish. 17 years old. No known address. Known wetworker. Born: 2041. Seattle native. Height: 6'5" Weight: approximately 255 lbs. Hair: Black, Eyes: Brown. Cyberware: Smart link.  
Prep Two: Name: Craig Reaves Streetname: Turk. Troll male, Caucasian. 22 years old. Born: April 1, 2036. Seattle native. No known address. Known wetworker. Partner's with Lank on a regular basis but has been known to solo on occasion. Height: 7'10" Weight: approximately 475 lbs. Cyberware: unknown." She paused to organize her thoughts before continuing her report. "Lone Star was able to identify the victims but so far they have no leads on the perps. The Star wants to write it off as random street violence. MCT, however, is most put out by their boy getting whacked and is putting a lot of pressure on the Star to find out who did it and why. From the report MCT security has put together, Michael had a date with Victoria that night. They went to The Mogul in Bellevue for dinner. Then they went to The Skeleton, in Redmond for a drink. After they left there, no one is sure where they went until they ended up in that alley. That's all we could find out on the matrix. Our various street contacts may tell us more. So footwork is the next step."  
"Wow, you got all that on the matrix?" Karina asked.  
"Yep," Vixen replied.  
"I'll check with my fixer next to see what else I can find out about Lank and Turk. What we really need is their employer. And we need to find out more about Victoria. She's the real mystery here. We thought at first she was just some joygirl Michael had picked up, but Vixen did a little more digging and found a holopic of the two of them at some Mitsu party a few months ago," Turner said.  
"Ok, if you can give me a ride over to Berrington street I can ask around and see if anybody else saw anything that night. Maybe if we can backtrack their movements that night after they left The Skeleton, we can figure out where they ran into Lank and Turk. That might tell us something about their relationship, if any, with Victoria," Karina stated.  
"Now you're starting to think like a shadowrunner," Turner said with a grin.  
"You two have anything else set up for tonight?" Karina asked.  
"Nope, we're free. Just gotta contact Turner's fixer," Vixen said, with a glance at Turner.  
"Ok, let me check with Mask and see if she needs me for anything else. If not, we can head over there now," Karina said.

After saying goodbye to Mask, Karina shrugged on her jacket. She checked her pistol, holstered it and headed out the door with Vixen and Turner. The rain had slowed down to a drizzle but it was a miserable night for riding. They headed for Redmond by the most direct route they could find while still avoiding any go gangs. Once they reached the Barrens they stopped first at The Skeleton. After seeing how a couple of other elves were treated, they decided not to approach the club . None of them wanted any trouble, so they headed instead for Karina's old turf.  
"Some of my contacts won't talk to me with anyone else around, so why don't you guys wait for me somewhere?" Karina shouted over the wind.  
Turner nodded. Then Karina heard over her micro transceiver, "Where?"  
Feeling stupid for forgetting she had it on, she subvocalized. " How about at the Banshee? It's just a couple of blocks from Berrington Street."  
"Sounds good. Ok with you Vixen?" Turner said.  
"No worries mate. Mist is the local around here. I trust her judgment," Vixen said.


	4. Chapter 4

_If you ain't want to dead, don't born! – Street Proverb_

The Banshee was a typical bar; there was nothing to distinguish it from hundreds of other bars in the plex. That was probably what made it so popular. Before she left, Turner passed her a cred stick. "Don't blow it all. Use it for bribes if you have to. It's got 500 nuyen on it."  
"Thanks Turner. I'll bring ya the change," Karina said.  
"Naw, you hang on to it. You'll need it." Tuner joined Vixen at a table.

Karina jandered down the street. At the intersection a group of kids was standing around a barrel of burning trash, hustling passers-by. Karina stepped into a doorway to study them. When she recognized one of the boys, she stepped back out into the street and continued toward them. "Hoi Stomper," she said.  
One of the boys turned around and squinted at her. He grinned at her. "Hoi Mist. How ya been? Haven't seen ya for a while. I heard ya buzzed. Hey, some slag wuz lookin for ya. Ya two hook up? Said he had someting for ya."  
"D'you tell him where ta find me?" she asked.  
Stomper scratched his stomach. "Naw, not me. I know betta. Jus tol 'em ya ain't been around lately."  
"Whiz. Hey, I need ta talk to ya. Wanna go get a cup of 'kaf?" she asked him.  
"Ya buying? I'm busted," he replied.  
"Sure, come on," she said.  
He waved to his chummers and followed her to a local diner. Grabbing a seat they ordered soykaf and a couple of burgers. Stomper wolfed his down and then proceeded to steal Karina's fries. He laughed at her expression as he took the last one. "Don' get slotted off. Ya got the 'yen fer this, ya can buy more. Now whatcha want ta talk ta me about?"  
"Well, first off, tell me about the guy who was lookin fer me. Was it a big ork? Name of Lank?" she asked.  
"Yeah, that's the slag." He looked at her curiously. "Hey Mist, ya in some kinda trouble?"  
"Naw, I'm fine. Jus wonderin. Don't worry I'll take care of it," she answered. "Hey, did ya hear 'bout that corper who got geeked over off Berrington Street?" She waved at the waitress and held up two fingers.  
Stomper grinned at her. "Yeah I heard 'bout 'em. Drek, the Star was all over this place fer a couple of days. Couldn't even hang witout 'em hasslin ya. Seem to tink somebody local geeked 'em. But der wus two of 'em. Some biff and the corper. Dey still don' know who pulled da job but I swear it wern't nobody local or we woulda heard 'bout it. Street mage I know said da biff was some runner, name of Hawk, but da cop I talk'd ta seemed to tink she was jus a joy girl. Who knows 'dough? Why ya askin?"  
"Jus' wondering, I heard about it and ya know I use ta flop over near there," she said casually.  
The waitress slid two more burgers on the table and waited while Karina slotted her cred stick.  
"Thanks fer feedin me," Stomper said as he dug into his next burger. "Ya sure have come up in da world. What happened , ya win the lotto?"  
"Naw," she said. "Jus found a job."  
"Frag girl, who hired ya?" he asked around a mouthful of fries.  
"A prof at Seattle U who needed some help doin' research," she said. "It don' pay much but it gets me off da streets and lets me eat regular."  
"Drek, wish I could find me someting like that 'cept I can't read. Course da gang keeps me too busy ta freelance," he told her.  
"What I really wanted ta know is if ya know where Crazy Marie is hangn' dese days? I need ta pay her back fer da sneaks she gave me," she asked. She finished her fries and pushed the plate with the third burger over to him. "Go ahead. I wasn't as hungry as I thought."  
"Ah man, ya mean ya haven't heard? Dey found Marie dead in da alley last week." He said.  
"No, I hadn't heard. Dat's too bad. She wuz always nice ta me. Do dey know what happened?" she asked.  
"Looked like she froze ta death," he said.  
Karina sighed. "Well, drek, dat's da only reason I came back. Hey, do ya know what time it is? I told a couple of chummers I'd meet em at 22:00."  
"It's about dat now," he said.  
"I best get goin then. Thanks for the info on Marie," she said.  
"Null perspiration chummer. Tanks for da meal."  
"Anytime." She told him. "See ya aroun."

After making the rounds of her contacts in the neighborhood, Karina was able to put together a sketchy report. Unfortunately, the night of the murders had been so cold and wet that the street people had all been snuggled as deep in their hiddy holes as possible. No one had seen anything out of the ordinary. Only two of her contacts knew of Lank and Turk, and neither had seen them that night. Undaunted, Karina headed back to the Banshee.

Karina jandered into the Banshee, barely concealing her excitement. Stomper had given her even more information than she had hoped for, and that made up for the rest of her contacts' lack of knowledge. Best of all it only cost her a couple of burgers to get it. She joined Turner and Vixen at the table with a satisfied grin.  
"Ya got something don't ya?" Turner asked her.  
"Sure do. Does the name Hawk mean anything to you?" Karina asked.  
"Hawk. Hmm, yeah that's the name of a cat burglar, I've heard about. Does museums and stuff. Strictly high nuyen stuff. Frag, the guy's a legend." Turner stopped as Karina shook her head.  
"Not a guy, a girl. Our girl from what Stomper heard," Karina said gleefully. "Course it's a rumor so it might not be true. Vixen, think you might be able to confirm it one way or the other?"  
"I can try mate, but don't get yer hopes up. Runners like to keep a low profile so ya don't often find anything on 'em in the Matrix," Vixen said. "Let's head back to my place and I'll see what I can find. Turner talked to her fixer while ya were gone and maybe he'll have something for us as well. Now that we have a name he might even be able to confirm Hawk's identity."

Vixen's apartment was as cluttered as Turner's was spartan. Wires ran across the floor and disappeared into the wall. The table was covered with computer parts and stacks of chips were scattered all over the counter. The apartment smelled of metal and solder. Vixen led the way into the room and cleared off a dilapidated couch. "Watch yer step and make yerselves at home. Beer in the fridge if ya want it. Soykaf in the pot. This may take a while." She sat down on the floor and took her deck in her lap. She slipped the jack into her data jack, hit a few keys and entered the matrix. Karina had always thought it would be thrilling to watch someone run the matrix. At least on the trid it looked exhilarating. The reality, however, fell far short of exciting and bordered on downright boring. Except for an occasional flurry of movement from her fingers, Vixen sat unmoving, eyes shut, on the floor. Turner wondered into the kitchen and brought back two cups of soykaf. They two settled on the couch and waited for Vixen to finish the run.  
Some time later Vixen opened her eyes. She jacked out and ejected a chip from her deck. She handed it to Karina with a smile. "I found a couple of news faxes about Hawk. One says Hawk is female and the other claims Hawk is definitely male. Then I hit the jackpot." She gave a triumphant grin. "This is a copy of a security cam sweep that caught a look at Hawk on a job she pulled at a museum in Munich four years ago. It was buried with a bunch of other old logs." She put the chip in a reader and they watched as a black clad figure of a woman repelled from a skylight to the floor of the museum. When she reached the floor she unclipped herself from the rope, and flipped and somersaulted her way across the floor in a series of moves. "Must be avoiding infrared beams," Turner said.  
The runner approached a glass case. On the next sweep of the camera the case was open and she removed a small object, placed it into a bag and shut the case. Then she made her way back to the rope and quickly attached a mechanism to it. She removed a pair of bulky goggles and put them in the bag as well. As the thief rose in the air the camera caught a quick glimpse of her face. "That's her!" Karina cried. "That's the same woman that was in the alley."  
"Good work Vixen," Turner said. "So now we have confirmation that Hawk and Victoria Nighthawk are one and the same. I assume the museum discovered the theft?"  
"Yes, but only after several months. It seems that the exhibit was changed the next morning and in the confusion the theft was overlooked. Only the one item was taken. It was a small jeweled dagger from the 1600's and even the placard describing the dagger was gone. According to the file there where several examples in the case, so it would be very easy to overlook the fact that one was missing. It wasn't until they did an inventory nine months later and came up short that they figured out it was gone. By then it had probably been sold to a private collector, and Hawk was long gone. All in all it was a very slick operation." Vixen got up and got a beer, before continuing her report. "This is the only concrete evidence I found but several similar jobs around Europe have the same MO. Several museums and private collectors have been hit in the past five years. Every single one of the jobs has gone off without a hitch and all but one wasn't discovered until months later. Our girl was very, very good. Very meticulous, highly organized, and every job was executed to the split second. Another thing, she never once engaged in combat, in fact on one job she withdrew sans the target simply because of the presence of a patrolling guard. She was never caught, and never seen except by that one guard and in this record. But because the theft wasn't discovered right away this," she said tapping the viewer, "…. was overlooked. We very well may be the only ones who have ever seen this."  
"What about the guards who monitor the cameras, how did they miss this?" Turner asked.  
" Well, according to what I've found out, the museum was trying out a new completely unmanned security system. And since there were no alarms, the logs were filed away and forgotten. Stupid if you ask me but they were trying to cut costs. Hawk must have been anticipating that. And it paid off, big time; that dagger was worth 3.5 million deutsche marks. Which comes out to a little over two million nuyen" Vixen replied  
Karina gave a low whistle. "Whew, not a bad haul for a night's work."  
"You aren't kidding," Turner replied. "Any idea how much she netted a year?"  
"Not really, but estimate between ten and fifty million nuyen," Vixen told her.  
"A year? Dear Lord, the slitch was rolling!" Karina cried.  
"Yep," Vixen said. "Given the information we have accumulated, I would speculate that the necklace that Lank and company are searching for, was probably liberated from either a private collector or a museum. Personally, I would wager on the collector."  
"It's a good bet you're right. But how do we go about finding where the necklace is. Ya know it might already have been sold to a fence," Turner warned.  
"That's possible," Vixen replied "But I think it's worth checking into, given the value of the items she has gone after in the past."  
"You got that right!" Karina stated. "Let's get to it."

Two hours later Turner contacted her fixer from a public telecom. "Whatcha got for me?" she asked him.  
"Not much, Lank and Turk were hired by an out-of-towner. Guy by the name of Rene Montingne. Standard retrieve job. He paid a substantial fee but it looks like the broker just pulled in whoever was available, or he's skimming a bigger profit for himself. Lank and Turk would not be my first choice for a retrieve. That's all I could get. Standard fee," he said.  
"Thanks. Get ready to receive." She slotted her cred stick and uploaded his fee.  
"Got it. Any thing else?" he said.  
"Yeah, one other thing. See what you can get me on a runner by the name of Hawk," Turner replied.  
"Will do." Click. The telecom went black. Turner straddled her bike and headed back to Vixen's place.

"Rene Montingne? Sounds French," Vixen said  
"Yeah it does," Karina said.  
"Don't forget, even with all this information, we still have nothing more than a few pieces of a puzzle," Tuner cautioned. " What we have to do now is start assembling them to form a picture. And we still don't know what that blasted necklace looks like."  
"Ok, just be patient. Let me get some smart frames working and see what we can get on M. Montingne," Vixen stated. She set up her deck once again. A minute or so later she was done. "There, I have it set up to accumulate as much data as it can find on him and then flag me." She stretched and yawned. "Time for bed ladies. You gonna crash here?"  
"Naw, I gotta get some stuff done at home. I'll drop Mist off and we'll see ya tomorrow afternoon," Tuner replied. They collected their gear and took off.

The apartment was dark when Karina let herself in. She made her way quietly down the hallway to her room. She stubbed her toe on the bedside table trying to find the light and jumped around on one foot for a minute or so. "Damn! That hurts!" she whispered. Hearing a giggle she looked around. Nothing. She shook her head. "Must be my imagination," she muttered. Then she heard it again. It sounded like it was coming from the closet. She drew her pistol and tiptoed to the door. Throwing it open she looked in. Nothing! She stepped back and looked around the room. Except for herself the room was innocently empty and still. Then the giggle came again from behind her. She spun around, looking for the source. "Ok!" she said standing in the middle of the room, hands on her hips. "Show yourself! No more games!"  
"No play?" asked a silvery voice. "Mistress said you live here now and that I should take care of you." A small child-like figure slowly appeared, floating at eye level.  
"Who are you?" Karina asked. She holstered her pistol and placed it on the nightstand.  
"You can call me Ariel," the spirit chimed.  
"Who is 'Mistress'?" Karina said. Intrigued by the spirit, she sat cross-legged on the bed and studied Ariel for a moment.  
"Mistress is Mask. She belongs to Raccoon. Raccoon likes sparkle pretties." The spirit floated down and turned its head upside down to look at her.  
Karina giggled. Ariel looked extremely silly like that. "Well Ariel, I'm Mist."  
The spirit put its hands behind its back and rocked back and forth. "I know who you are. Mistress told me," Ariel said importantly. "You belong to Fox. Fox is fun to play with."  
"Is he? I haven't been able to play with him yet. I did get to meet him though," Karina said.  
"I know. He told me," Ariel replied.  
"Did he now?" Karina said with a smile. She yawned and got up to undress.  
"Oh yes, we play together a lot. Fox is very good at hide and seek," Ariel stated. "You going to sleep now?"  
"Yes, I'm very tired," Karina said.  
"Ok," Ariel chirped. "We play later?"  
"Sure," Karina said as she slipped into bed. She switched off the light and curled up on her side.  
"Good night, Mist," Ariel said.  
"G'night, Ariel," Karina mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.

Karina let herself in and joined Mask in the kitchen.  
"Have a good workout?" Mask asked.  
"Yeah. Owen showed us some new stuff this morning. I think I'm getting better," Karina replied.  
"Good! Always try and learn something new every day. No knowledge is ever wasted! It might just save your life someday." Mask set a plate before Karina and handed her a cup of coffee. "But enough lectures before breakfast. I hear you met Ariel last night."  
"Yes. She gave me quite a scare at first," Karina said around a mouthful of muffin.  
Mask laughed. "She loves to play games."  
"So I found out," Karina said wryly. "She played hide and seek with me. I thought I was going crazy for a second before she appeared."  
"I should have warned you about her," Mask said with an apologetic grin. "She's very mischievous. There use to be a resident in the building that she really didn't like. She played so many tricks on him that he eventually moved, much to the relief of the rest of the residents. He wasn't a very nice man."  
Karina giggled. "If she pulled the same thing on him that she did on me, I am not surprised that he moved."  
"Oh all that and more," Mask said blandly. Changing the subject she asked, "Are you going to have time today to work on your spells?"  
"Yeah, I'm not supposed to meet Turner and Vixen until this afternoon," Karina replied.  
"Good, then if you're finished, let's get to work," Mask said.

"There!" Mask said with satisfaction. "I think you've got this spell down." She floated six feet off the ground. "Now, I want you to turn me upside down."  
Karina concentrated. Slowly she rotated Mask until she was head down, her long hair brushing the ground.  
"With practice you'll be able to do this much faster and with greater precision." Mask's face flushed a rosy red. "Ok, turn me right side up before I pass out here," she said.  
Karina grinned. "Oh, if that happens I'll just bounce you on your head until you wake up." She turned Mask back up and carefully lowered her to the floor.  
"Very good." Mask applauded. "Now, I'm going to go get some water. While I'm gone I want you to cast that invisibility and when I come back in, I'll see if I can spot you."  
Karina grinned. This was her best spell yet. Hiding was easy! She cast the spell and moved to a corner of the room. She concentrated on breathing slowly and quietly so as not to give herself away, and waited for Mask to return.  
Mask entered the room and looked around. The room looked deceptively empty. She put her glass down and stood there a moment. She listened carefully but couldn't hear anything but the quiet hum of the heating unit. She narrowed her eyes, straining all her senses, but couldn't detect Karina at all. Switching to astral sight she finally noticed the still figure in the far corner of the room. "There you are," she said, pointing.  
"Ahh, rats," Karina cried. "I thought I had you for sure."  
"You did," Mask said with a grin. "I had to use astral sight to find you."  
"Really? Whiz. So I'm getting better right?" Karina asked.  
"Yep, you sure are." Mask said. "Enough for today though. Go get a shower. Turner should be here soon."  
Karina bounced out of the room and headed for the shower. Mask followed slowly, grinning at her protégé's exuberance.

Karina ran out to meet Turner. "So did she get anything?" she asked as she climbed on the back of the bike. She grabbed Turner's waist to keep from falling off as the merc took off.  
"Don't know yet. She was still asleep when I called. She said to come on over and then disconnected. She's a bit of a grouch when she wakes up."

Vixen let them in and sat back down in her chair. "I don't know yet," she said in reply to their expectant looks. She drank down her soykaf and then poured herself a refill. She poured in an obscene amount of sweetener and a liberal amount of creamer.  
Turner shuddered. "How can you stand it so sweet?" She poured a cup for herself and one for Karina and carried them back to the couch. "We can wait till you wake up," she stated.  
"Thanks," Vixen said.  
Karina waited impatiently until she was finished. She fidgeted with her cup, then looked up expectantly when Vixen finally stirred.  
"Right, let's see what we got." Vixen jacked in and once again they waited for several long minutes. Finally she opened her eyes and jacked out. "Rene Montingne's a private art collector from France. Very wealthy and from a very old and powerful family. They date their ancestry back to French nobility. He has a reputation of being unscrupulous and single minded when it comes to art. He hasn't reported any robberies but if the necklace was hot he wouldn't. The French police suspect that he has bought stolen art in the past but they have no proof so they can't touch him. That's all I could get on him. Want to bet the necklace was stolen from him?" she asked.  
"Nope," Tuner replied. "So, Hawk steals the necklace and then comes to Seattle. Should be some record of her flight. Think you can find it?"  
"Not without some idea of a time frame. And she probably traveled under an assumed name," Vixen said.  
"Hey wait. Didn't you say she has been dating Michael for eight months?" Karina asked.  
Vixen turned to look at her. She blinked. "Yeah I did. You think that was when she came over? Maybe she met Michael on the plane."  
"That's what I'm thinking," Karina said  
"Ok. Let's see if Michael has made any trips overseas in the past year," Vixen said.  
Several minutes later Vixen confirmed their suspicions. "Good call, Mist. MCT sent Michael to their Paris office last April. He was gone three weeks. He left on the 5th and returned by suborbital on the 26th. And get this; his seatmate was listed as one Victoria Nighthawk. I also found an address for her. Bless the airline's little anally retentive hearts. 4726 West Maple, Auburn district of the Seattle Metroplex, UCAS!"  
"All right!" Turner hollered. She smacked Vixen on the shoulder. "Way to go!"  
Karina grinned. "Now we're getting somewhere. You don't think she would keep that necklace at home do you?"  
"Maybe not," Turner replied, "but it's worth a look. No telling what we could find."  
"So let's go," Karina said.  
"Not so fast chummer. We have plenty of time. Let's not go off half-cocked. We'll get ourselves killed that way. Rule number one of Shadowrunning: Do your homework! First we need to scope the place out and see how easy it will be to get in. We don't know what kind of security she has," Turner replied. "Time for some street work chummers. First things first. Vixen, pull up the Seattle guidebook and let's see what it has to say about Auburn."  
The decker set up her deck and disappeared into the bedroom for a moment. When she came back she was carrying a small monitor. She hooked it up so that the others could view the file as well, and dived into the matrix. Information appeared on the screen and then she jacked out. "I've accessed the Shadow edition as well. Let's see what we've got." She called up a map of the Auburn district and located West Maple.  
"It's in the Maple Valley neighborhood," she stated.  
"Appropriate don't ya think? Hmmm, I see SPD gives it a B security rating. He's usually right on the money so we'll need to go in quiet," Turner said from over Vixen's shoulder. "I'm kinda surprised though that she wasn't in a better neighborhood."  
"Hiding in plain sight?" Karina spoke up.  
"Maybe, we'll see when we get there," Vixen replied.  
"Ya know this might be a good time to move to that safe house," Turner said. "Vixen, get whatever ya need from here. Mist, you need anything before we fade?"  
"Yeah, I need to let Mask know I won't be around for a while," Karina said.  
"Ok, Vixen, why don't you book us a pair of suites at the Su Casa Suites and Mist and I will go talk to Mask. We will meet ya there," Turner said.  
"No worries, mate, I'm right on it." Vixen left to make arrangements for the rooms.  
"Let's roll, Mist," Turner said.


	5. Chapter 5

_When chasing a wild goose, dress properly and take plenty of ammo. – Street Proverb_

 

"Stupid fraggin job! Dis is da last time I let Turk handle biz. Drek, dat kid could be anywhere by now," Lank grumbled. He cruised the streets looking for some sign of Karina on the offhand chance that she might return to the area. As he passed the park, he saw Karina and another girl climb on a bike and take off. "There she is! Damn, dis is my lucky day!" Lank smiled and followed them at a safe distance until they stopped at a motel. He pulled over and watched them enter a room. Taking note of the room number, the ork left to find a public telecom and inform his partner that the target had been found.

"How was class?" Vixen asked over the noise of the shower.  
"Good, it's been too long since I went though and I'm a bit sore," Turner said. "Hand me that towel."  
Vixen passed her the towel and left the room to join Karina at the tiny dinette. Turner joined them a bit later. She rubbed her hair dry with the towel and then draped it over the back of a chair to dry. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down. "Ok, we need to check out Hawk's place today and start planning how we are going to get in."  
" Sounds good. Let's finish up here and get ready to go," Vixen replied.  
They quickly finished their breakfast and started dressing for the day.  
Suddenly Karina stiffened. "Something's wrong!" she whispered.  
Turner looked at her. "Can you tell what?"  
"No!" Karina gave Turner a pleading look when she hesitated. "You've gotta believe me!"  
"Drek!" Turner grabbed her pistol off the bed, and motioned to Vixen. Vixen drew her own weapon and started moving towards the kitchen when the door burst open. She dove for the bathroom and snapped off a couple of shots at the intruder.  
Turner threw herself through the connecting door to the other suite and opened fire.  
Karina took one look at the massive troll in the doorway and dropped to the floor. She rolled under the bed and quickly cast an invisibility spell. She scooted over and peeked out from under the bed.  
Turk lifted his roomsweeper and fired at Turner. She ducked behind the doorframe, and screamed as flying wood splinters and pellets tore through the flimsy doorframe and into her shoulder. She fell to the floor and rolled to get out of the line of fire.  
Karina looked up quickly when she heard a crash at the window. Through a crack in the curtains she caught a glimpse of Lank trying to break the window. She threw a stun blast at him and ducked back under the bed. Her head swam for a second from the drain of casting. She shook her head. 'I don't have time for this now!' she thought.  
Turk bellowed as two quick shots from Vixen hit him square in the chest. He backed up and dove for cover as she started walking her fire up towards his face.  
Vixen waited for him to reappear and then cursed at the sound of a distant siren. "Frag! Lone Star's on the way!" she yelled.  
When neither Turk nor Lank reappeared, Vixen ran over to Turner. "Can you move?" she asked hastily "We gotta leave. Mist, get out here and help me! Turner's hit!"  
Karina rolled out from under the bed and helped Vixen lift Turner onto the bed.  
"Quick, get the medkit outa my bag!" Vixen pointed to her rucksack.  
Karina rummaged around until she found it and threw it to Vixen. She threw the rest of their gear into another bag while Vixen slapped a patch on Turner's shoulder. Karina took a quick look out the open door. "All clear. Let's go." She grabbed the kits and followed Vixen and Turner to the car.  
"I'll take the bike. You two take the car and meet me at my place. Watch for anyone following you," Vixen warned before sprinting to the bike. Karina climbed into the car. She set the autopilot and turned her attention to the wounded merc. "Just hang on Turner, you're going to be fine."  
Turner shook her head groggily. "Gahh, I hate the taste of olives! You ok?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hold still and let me concentrate."  
A soothing warmth spread over Turner's shoulder and arm. Her muscles relaxed and she sighed in relief. She looked over at Karina and stared in fascination at the shaman. Her features had taken on a foxy appearance. She shook her head as the look faded. 'Must be seeing things.'  
"There, that should do it. But don't try moving around a lot just yet," Karina said. "Vixen said to meet back at her place. Looks like we're going to have to find another safe house. How did they find us?"  
"Don't know. Maybe they followed us from class," Turner stated. "Did you get everything from the room?"  
"Yeah," Karina said. "Ya know, I think I'm gonna kill those two."  
"I scan that. Save some for me," Turner replied.

"I'm gonna kill dat fraggin kid!" Turk bellowed. "I'm gonna rip her fraggin heart out wit my bare hands and eat it!"  
"Dat's what got us into dis fraggin mess in da first place ya stupid trog!" Lank yelled back. "Johnson's gonna have our heads for dis. Look, we gotta find dat necklace first! Den we kill da kid. Ya scan?"  
Turk stomped out of the room without a word. Lank stared after him in disgust. 'Dat trog is getting to be more trouble den he's worth. Maybe it time ta find me a new partner,' he thought.

Vixen was waiting when they got there. "Anybody follow you?" she asked.  
"Not that I could tell, but we can't stay here long," Turner said, her face pale with shock.  
Vixen looked at her grimly. "We gotta get you someplace safe and take a better look at that.  
"I'm fine!" Tuner snapped. She gritted her teeth. "Let's just get going."  
"Ok, I got us another hotel room. Follow me and keep a close eye out for any tails," Vixen said. She stalked back to the bike and swung on.

"Magical healing or not, your not leaving this room tonight!" Karina said firmly. " And if you give me any trouble I'll… I'll hit you with a sleep spell!"  
Turner grimaced. "Fine, but…"  
"No buts! Now get some sleep." Karina turned away dismissively.  
Turner grumbled under her breath, but a few moments later her breathing settled into the slow rhythm of sleep.  
"She's going to be all right, Mist," Vixen said quietly. "You saved our hoops today, ya know. Thanks. How did you know?"  
"I don't know. I just had this feeling and I knew I was right. Maybe my totem told me." Karina shrugged.  
"Well, what ever it was, ya did good." Vixen yawned. "Get some sleep." She stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes.  
Karina switched off the light and lay there for awhile thinking. Finally, she sighed and drifted off to sleep.

4726 West Maple was a modest house in a quiet residential area. It was a grey stucco one story. Nothing distinguished it from the other houses in the neighborhood. Karina astrally scanned the house as they drove by. She looked carefully for the signs Mask had told her about, but there were no magical defenses she could see. Not even a low-level ward. "Nothing. No sign of any magical protections at all. Do you want me to do an astral recon of the place?" she asked.  
"Ok, but be careful," Turner said as they pulled into a grocery store parking lot down the street. She went into the store to get drinks, leaving Vixen and Karina in the car.  
Karina settled herself in the seat and pillowed her head on her arm as if asleep. She stepped out of her body and zipped back the way they had come. She tried to read the numbers on the houses but couldn't make any sense of them. Recognizing an unusual tree in the front yard of the house, she cautiously approached it. Nothing stirred as she slipped through the front door. The house was still and quiet except for the distant drip of a leaky faucet. Karina looked around, memorizing the placement of the rooms to describe to her partners later. As she moved through the walls in between the bedrooms she found a small safe hidden behind the paneling. Marking its location in her mind, she continued her search. The house was completely empty. It looked like no one had been here since Hawk had left that night. After a quick look around , she sped back to her body. She sat up just as Turner returned.  
"Did ya get anything?" Turner asked her.  
"Yeah, the house is empty. And I was right, there are no magical protections. It looks like no one has been there since Hawk left. I found a safe too. If you get me a piece of paper I can ya draw a map of the place," Karina said.  
Vixen handed her a discarded wrapper and a pen, and she quickly sketched out a crude map. "Here ya go." She handed it to Turner and sat forward with her arms draped over the front seat. She pointed out the rooms, telling them what each one was. Suddenly, Vixen started the car. "Put that away," she warned Turner. She drove over to where a sec guard was standing, studying them suspiciously. She leaned out the window and called to him. "Excuse me sir, do you happen to know if there is a mall nearby? We came to visit a friend and her neighbor tells us she won't be home until 13:00, so we have a couple of hours to kill." She flashed him a devastating smile.  
His face cleared as he smiled back. "Certainly, Miss." He walked over to the car to give them directions and flirted a bit with Vixen before sending them on their way.

"I'm gonna try to bypass this door sensor," Vixen said later that night. She pulled out a credit card sized magnet and put it between her teeth. She jiggled around in the old fashion key lock with one of her picks for a few seconds until she was awarded with a quiet click. She turned the handle and slipped the magnet between the door jam and the door. Then she slowly opened the door until it was wide enough to slip through. Turner and Karina held their breath as she sank to her knees and inched her way across the floor. Finally, she reached the motion detector and stood up, coming at it from underneath. She reached into a pouch hanging at her side and pulled out her electronic tool kit. She selected a small screwdriver and opened the case of the detector. Finally she clipped a set of wires to the innards and hooked up her deck. "Wait one tic."  
She settled the plug into her jack and entered the system.

From blackness sprang vivid colors. Her silver fox icon stood in a room surrounded by shimmering green walls covered with controls. This was the slave node for all the sensors. She began to shut them down when suddenly the light turned a dirty amber color, and began to pulse. 'Alert!' she thought. Looking around she saw only one way out. She bounded down the tunnel past the ice that was just now beginning to form. As she flew through the datapath, she saw a large Octagon in front of her. Blocking her way was the UMC icon for access ice, a gate with a keyhole. Vixen threw a key into the lock, and rushed into the gate and bounced. It didn't open. She tried again, more carefully, taking time to pick the lock. This time it opened. Working quickly, she moved into the CPU and went to the control panel. She had only a second before the system sent out an alert to the monitoring system. She quickly shut down the alert, then the system. She looked around making sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. Then a big red button appeared before her. She reached out with a paw and tapped it. Black….

"What the frag happened? You set off an alert. I just barely caught it before it sent out a scream for help!" Vixen snapped.  
Karina looked sheepish. "Sorry, I sneezed."  
Vixen sighed. "Get in here before someone sees ya." She put down her deck in its armored case and looked around. "Nice place," she said, shining her flashlight around the room.  
The living room was tastefully decorated in a western style. A dark leather couch, flanked by two leather armchairs, graced the wall opposite a large fireplace. They could still make out vacuum marks on the cream colored carpet. A light layer of dust over everything was a counterpoint to an otherwise immaculately clean house.  
Vixen made her way over to a desk set in the corner and set her deck down. " Take a look around and I will see what I can find in Hawk's system." She sat down and jacked in.  
While Vixen had her wicked way with Hawk's computer, Karina led Turner into the back part of the house. She showed Turner the panel the safe was behind. Turner finally found a switch that popped open the panel. A thumbprint scanner was set into the sheet rock the safe was embedded in.  
"Aw frag, now what're we gonna do?" Karina asked.  
Turner grinned. " Watch and learn, chica. First, go find me some tape and a pencil."  
Karina headed back into the living room and came back a minute or so later with a roll and a pencil. "Will this do?" she asked.  
"Yep." Turner walked into the bathroom and rummaged under the counter until she found some face powder. She crushed the pencil lead with the butt of her pistol and added it to the face powder. Then, using the powder puff, she dusted the counter carefully. She blew lightly across the counter to remove the excess powder and bent down for a closer look. "There! Hand me the tape." She ripped off a piece of tape and gently applied it over a thumbprint the powder revealed. She pulled it up slowly and lifted it to show Karina the print. Then she folded the tape in half and applied it to her thumb. " Let's go." Back at the safe she pressed her thumb to the pad and after a second was rewarded with a quiet click.  
"All right!" Karina said.  
Turner opened the safe and pulled out a pouch. She shut the safe and carried the pouch into the living room. She sat down on the couch and opened it. Inside was a cred stick , a pocket secretary , a key, and several small pieces of jewelry which she laid on the coffee table. "That's it."  
Karina picked up the key. " Wonder what this is to?"  
Turner looked up from the pocket secretary and frowned. "No idea. Not many places use keys any more." She turned her attention back to the small machine. After a minute of fiddling with it she frowned. "Hmm. This is interesting."  
Karina came over and looked over her shoulder. "What is it?"  
"Looks like directions to someplace in the Cascades. I wonder if Hawk had a safehouse or something up there. Feel like a little trip?" She grinned at Karina.  
"Sounds like our next stop," Karina replied.  
Turner gathered up the things that where in the safe and tucked them away. "Let's get Vixen and get out of here."  
Karina nodded. "Let me clean up the bathroom first. No sense of advertising that we were here."  
"You got it." Turner replied.

Vixen packed away her deck . "Nothing in her system. Ya get anything?"  
"Yeah, I'll tell ya about it on the way," Turner replied.  
Karina looked around making sure they had left no trace of their presence. "Did you reset the alarm?" she asked.  
"Yeah, let's go."  
The trio slipped out of the house, locking the door behind them. Heading back to the room, they made plans for the next stage of their adventure.

Karina climbed out of the car and looked around. A small cabin sat in the clearing surrounded by tall pines. Only the wind rustling the tops of the trees and an occasional bird call broke the stillness. The cabin was built from weathered wood and looked like it had been there for years, nestled comfortably in its surroundings. A porch extended around one corner of the building providing a welcome haven, several chairs and a table in one corner and a hanging porch swing in the other corner awaited to provide comfort. She glanced over at Turner. " Pretty place."  
"Yeah, it is. Quiet too. We'll have to remember this in case we ever need a place to hole up," Turner replied.  
Together they climbed the steps. Karina pulled out the key they had found and inserted it into the lock. She held her breath and turned the key. There was a quiet click and the door swung open. " Bingo!" She gave a wide grin.  
Turner looked over to where Vixen was leaning up against a tree, a contented smile on her lips. "Vixen! Ya coming?"  
"Na, ya go ahead mate, I'll just hang here. It's been way too long since I've been outta that hellhole of a sprawl," Vixen said.  
Karina stepped into the room and looked around. The central room was dominated by a large fireplace. Rustic wood and leather furniture created a casual atmosphere. Several animal heads hung on the walls, a mute testimony to the prowess of some unknown hunter. Karina shivered uneasily. 'That bear looks like it's lookin' right at me.' She moved quickly across the room to peer down a short hall and discovered four bedrooms, a bathroom and a rather large kitchen.  
Turner joined her a moment later. "Why don't you take the front two bedrooms and I'll take the back two?"  
"That's fine with me. I just hope they don't have anymore of those heads," Karina replied with another shudder.

The two women split up and after a thorough search they met back in the living room.  
"Nothing!" Turner said with disgust.  
"I found some ladies clothes in the middle room, but no necklace. Not even any place to hide one," Karina replied. She looked around the room. " I guess that leaves this room, the bathroom and kitchen."  
"And outside," Turner reminded her. She moved to the door and hollered. "Yo, Vixen! If you're done communing with the trees, why don't ya take a look around and see if you can find that blasted necklace." She turned back to Karina. "You check in here and I'll take a look in the bathroom and kitchen."  
Karina settled herself on the couch and shut her eyes. With a sigh, she stepped out her body.  
Turner shook her head, murmured "Cheater," good-naturedly, then headed for the back of the cabin once more, leaving the shaman to her search.  
A quick look under the floor showed nothing unusual. Karina walked through the walls but found nothing there either. 'Damn! Looks like this was a wild goose chase.' She slipped back into her body and opened her eyes. The bear was starring at her again. She looked away but her attention was drawn back again. "If only you could talk," she told it. The bear stared at her mutely. She looked around the room, thinking. " I wonder…"  
She jumped to her feet and crossed the room to stand under the bear's head. Reaching up, she pulled it away from the wall a bit and looked at the board it was mounted on. 'Humn… new nails. Interesting. This would make a good hiding place.' Carefully she lifted the head off the wall and placed it on the floor. Looking around the room for a tool she spotted the fireplace poker. She used it to gently pry the board away from the head and eagerly looked into the cavity. She caught a glint of something in the dim light. Excited, she reached in and pulled out the object.  
Four strands of shimmering pearls, rubies and gold formed a dazzling pool in her hand. Her eyes widened in awe. She held it up by the gold clasp and let it dangle in a beam of sunshine. The rubies flashed with an inner fire. "Turner!"  
Turner entered the room and gasped with wonder. "It's beautiful!" She crossed the room and took the necklace gently. "This is incredible! It must be worth millions."  
"I wonder who owned it first?" Karina asked softly.  
"Who knows? Maybe Vixen can find out," Turner replied. She handed the necklace back with a small sigh of regret. "Nice find. So what are you going to do with it?"  
Karina started a bit. " I hadn't really thought about it. What do you think we should do with it?"  
"Well, why don't we just hang on to it awhile and think it out. I'm sure we can find a buyer for it somewhere. Our best bet is to find out what it's history is before we sell it," Turner replied.  
"Sounds good to me." The two exchanged a grin and headed for the car.


	6. Chapter 6

_When everything is going according to plan, expect an ambush.—Street proverb_

 

Mask sat curled in her chair, eyes sparking in appreciation. She held the necklace up to the light. "This is exquisite. Quite one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. I can understand why Hawk would take this." She was interrupted by gales of laughter coming from the other room.  
"Huh, wonder what got into her?" Turner said. She exchanged a puzzled glance with Mask and Karina.  
When the laughter showed no signs of abating, the three women went to check it out. Vixen was laying on the floor next to her deck, arms clasped around her middle and tears rolling down her face.  
Karina looked concerned. "Do you think we should jack her out?"  
"No! Not unless she starts T&Fing or something equally nasty. For now we just wait," Turner said.  
Karina looked puzzled. "T&Fing?"  
"Twitching and foaming," Turner explained.  
A few anxious minutes later, Vixen reached up and pulled the plug. She sat up and stared at her concerned friends.  
"What was that all about?" Turner demanded.  
"I don't know, but it was definitely weird," Vixen stated. She shook her head in confusion. "It felt like I was being… tickled."  
Mask checked her over. "No signs of damage. But I must admit I have never seen a decker react that way before."  
Vixen shrugged. "Me either. I'll check the Shadowland BBS later and see if anyone has ever heard of something like this happening before." She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face, and straightened her clothing, trying to regain her composure. "Getting back to the subject at hand, I have the information we need."  
"Good. Shall we retire to the living room?" Mask said with a grin. She led the way and curled back up in her chair, the others settling themselves down as well. She gestured to Vixen to continue.  
Vixen waited until everyone had made themselves comfortable before continuing. "I'll just cut to the chase. Mist, ya have quite a find there. That necklace once belonged to Marie Antoinette, it was part of her crown jewels and after the French Revolution it was thought to be lost. Apparently it has been in a private collection for years. There is a painting by Vigée Le Brun of her, wearing the necklace, at the Louvre in Paris."  
"So what you're saying is, that if we sell it, it's worth so much that only a private collector, a museum, or a corp could give us anything near it's value," Turner stated.  
"That about sums it up," Vixen agreed. She turned to Karina. "So what'd ya want to do with it?"  
"Remember, people have already been killed for this. I really don't think it is safe for you to keep it, Mist," Mask said regretfully.  
Karina sighed. "I know, and you're right. But who should we sell it to? It's not like Joe's Pawn Shop could handle a sale like this."  
"If I may," Mask said, "I suggest that you contact a museum. They usually won't ask too many questions and they pay well. I think that is your safest bet for selling this off."  
"Sounds fine to me," Karina said. "Which one though?"  
"Leave that ta me," Vixen spoke up. "I'll check around and see if there is one that is interested in an acquisition."

"She has the necklace. She is meeting a man named Tomas Carti at the Seattle Art Museum.  
This is your last chance to deal with this situation. Do not fail me again!" *Click*  
Lank raked his hands through his hair. This was going to be a long night.

Karina opened her eyes. "All quiet," she reported.  
"Too quiet," Turner replied. "Something's wrong."  
Vixen laughed. "Ya worry too much, mate."  
"Just cause I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me!" Turner said. "Besides, I'm still alive ain't I?"  
"There is that. You stand watch then, and Mist and I will go talk to Mr. Carti," Vixen said.  
"Will do. Be careful. I have a bad feeling about this," Turner replied.  
Vixen and Karina stepped out of the car and headed for the museum. The contact was to meet them in the main offices around the side of the building. Vixen stopped at the door and pressed a button on the intercom.  
" Yes"  
" Guillotine"  
*Buzz, Click* Vixen opened the door and headed down the hall. She stopped at the last office and knocked on the open door. A blonde man seated at the desk looked up at her knock. "Come in and have a seat," he said. "I'm Tomas Carti."  
"Vixen. This is Mist."  
"I understand that you have some merchandise you think the museum might be interested in. May I see it?"  
"We did not bring the item with us at this time. Here, however, is a holopic," Vixen replied. She leaned forward and passed him a holo of the necklace. He looked it over carefully.  
"Interesting. It certainly looks authentic, but you understand that until it is verified we will be unable to purchase it," Tomas stated.  
"Of course," Vixen said smoothly.  
"If I may offer a suggestion, we can proceed as though the necklace is genuine. When we have come to a mutually acceptable price, we can then have the necklace verified through a third party. We will give the funds agreed upon to them and you will give them the necklace. They will verify the authenticity. If it is indeed authentic, they will then turn over the funds to you and the necklace to us. If not, they will return the necklace to you and the deal will be off. Is this acceptable?" Tomas asked.  
"That sounds reasonable. Who do you wish to use as a third party?" Vixen replied.  
"We have used Lloyd's of London in the past with great success. If they are acceptable to you we can continue."  
Vixen glanced at Karina. She nodded slightly. Vixen smiled. " That is acceptable."

Lank put down the microphone. "Dey don't have it wit dem. Drek! We'll have ta change da plan. Is dat oder girl still out der by da car?"  
"Yeah, ya want me ta kill her?" Turk asked eagerly.  
"No! Jus get her and bring her ta me. We'll make em trade da necklace for her." Lank grinned nastily. "But first maybe we'll have a lil fun wit her."

"Nine million is acceptable," Vixen said.  
"Done. I will contact Lloyd's and have them send a representative. Call me tomorrow and we can arrange the exchange," Tomas said. He handed Vixen a card with his LTG number. "It has been a pleasure doing business with you."  
"Likewise Mr. Carti. I will speak with you tomorrow." The two women rose and shook hands with him. They left the office, wide smiles on each face. Vixen signaled Karina not to speak until they were clear of the building.

Turner leaned up against the car and rubbed her shoulder. It still felt stiff. She glanced around again. Still quiet. ' Hurry up, it's cold out here,' she thought. She heard a slight sound behind her and whirled around.  
Turk was standing there grinning at her. "Hey der chica, come play wit Turk."  
She yelled but couldn't dodge the punch that sent her into oblivion.

"DREK !"  
Vixen stopped short. "Turner?"  
Silence.  
Vixen exchanged a worried look with Karina, and broke out in a run. They hit the door and rushed into the parking lot in time to see Turk throw Turner into a van. He jumped in and the van took off.  
"Turner!" Karina screamed. She headed for the car .  
*KA Boom* A muffled explosion lifted the car into the air. It crashed to the ground and exploded as the gas tank ruptured. The shock wave knocked both women off their feet.

Hours later, Vixen sat in a hospital emergency room, waiting for the doctor to tell him if Karina was ok or not. The Lone Star officers had finally left after going over her statement more times than she wanted to think about. She looked up expectantly when a man approached her.  
"Ms. McDonnell?" At her nod, he sat down in the seat next to her with a weary sigh.  
"Is Misty…?"  
"She's fine," he hastened to reassure her. " She has a mild concussion and lots of bruises and contusions. It's a miracle you both weren't hurt worse."  
"Can I take her home now?" Vixen asked.  
"Yes, just go down to out processing and they will get you squared away. One thing though. Don't leave her alone tonight and if she has any problem with blurred vision, nausea , or dizziness you will need to get her back to a doctor right away." He smiled at her and handed her a stack of instructions. "You and your friend are very lucky you know."  
"I know. Thank you for your help," Vixen said.

Vixen helped Karina up the stairs to Mask's apartment. She banged on the door, waiting impatiently for Mask to answer.  
Mask opened the door, eyes wide with worry. She reached out and helped steer Karina to the couch. Then she knelt down and cast a heal spell on her. "What happened?"  
Karina sighed in relief, as the last of the pain faded. "They took Turner!"  
"And blew up my deck and my car!" Vixen added.  
Karina and Vixen took turns filling Mask in on the events of the evening.  
When they were done Mask sat chewing her lip with worry. "They want the necklace so it looks to me like they are going to demand an exchange. That means they have to keep Turner alive."  
"What about trying to find her with magic?" Karina asked. "You said that could be done."  
"It can . But I am to exhausted to try tonight and we would need something of hers to work with anyway. Neither of you are in any shape to run over to her place and try and find something to use. If we don't hear from them sooner we can try it tomorrow. I'll send out a couple of watchers but there is no guarantee they will be able to find her. It's a big sprawl." Mask explained regretfully. "Now, come with me, I have an idea for turning this to your advantage."  
Mask lead the way to her lodge. She sent out her watchers, then the two shamans sat down on the floor and Karina listened eagerly as her mentor explained the plan. When Mask was done Karina was giggling so hard it hurt.  
"Oh Lord, that's priceless. I just wish I could see their faces when they figure it out." Karina gasped.


	7. Chapter 7

_"The bigger the prize, the greater the cost." - Street proverb_

 

Turner woke with a gasp as a meaty hand fell across her face. "Wake up, slitch," growled a low voice. She groaned as pain flared in her head and face, focusing itself in her nose and left cheek. Her ears rang from the impact and she mumbled fuzzily, "Gimme five more minutes, mom." She was vaguely aware of a coppery taste in her mouth.  
Thick fingers roughly grabbed her hair close to the scalp, jerking her head up. She tried to focus her eyes, but her left stubbornly refused to open. The sight of the ork and troll before her woke her sufficiently. 'Oh, drek! I'm so fragged!'  
An attempt to leap to her feet brought home the fact that she was firmly tied to a chair. Her right hand was strapped down so that it lay flat against a nearby table.  
Lank spoke again. "Ya fraggin' slitch. Tell us how ta contact yer friends or yer hoop's gonna be iced."  
Turner stashed the fear in a back corner of her mind and tossed them a cocky grin. "Ya kiss yer mother with that mouth?"  
A fist buried itself in her stomach, stealing away her breath. Coughing, the air bubbling through her broken nose, she glared at them.  
"We want the necklace. Yer gonna get it for us."  
"No can do, Lug and Thunk ," she wheezed out. "Ain't gonna happen."  
Lank nodded at Turk. The troll gabbed hold of her right hand, and with a swift twist, broke her middle finger.  
"Ahhh!"  
"Tell us!"  
In response, she spit in Turk's face.  
The spittle slid down the side of the large nose and a strangely disturbing light entered the troll's eyes as he slowly wiped it off his face. "Hey, Lank, kin I play wi' the chica?" He leered suggestively and Turner struggled to suppress a shudder.  
"Chill, Turk. We need some answers first. Then we'll see."  
Turk shrugged and pulled his weapon. He ran the barrel of the gun gently down the side of her face and across her neck, bringing the muzzle to a rest at the hollow of her throat.  
Lank continued. "We knows ya got the necklace stashed somewheres. And you or yer chummers know where it's at. All ya got ta do is give 'em a call. We get the necklace and ya get ta go home."  
Turk continued running the gun's barrel up and down Turner's body, never touching her with his hands, but obviously demonstrating his enjoyment in the process. The elf deliberately ignored the troll, focusing her attention on the ork. She shook her head. "Somehow, I just can't seem to bring myself to trust you. Maybe it's me, but you lack credibility."  
Turk quickly reversed his grip on the gun and smashed it butt first on her outstretched hand. Turner actually heard the bones break and a strange snapping sound as a wave of pain radiated up her arm.

~ The pain causes her military training to kick in. Unable to escape physically, Turner withdraws deep into her mind, retreating into her secret place where the pain became a distant thing. She sits on a bench overlooking a shallow pond, the sun creating soothing shadows on the water, willing to spend as much time here as necessary. ~

Lank noticed the glassy stare in the elf's eyes and he swore. "Drek."  
"She dead?"  
"Nah. But it'll take more than what we've been doin' to bring her back."  
Turk's brow wrinkled at that. "Want me to hit her again?" He smiled in sadistic glee at Lank's, "Just make sure ya don't kill her."  
Turk smashed his gun a couple more times down upon Turner's hand, shattering bone and dislocating a couple of fingers. There was no reaction from the elf. Dropping his gun, the troll began to methodically beat Turner. Hands the size of hams slammed into vulnerable parts of the body with no discernible response.  
Finally Lank stopped him. "We're gonna have ta try somtin' else. Go fill the tub." As Turk lurched off, Lank leaned closer to Turner and whispered in her ear, "Let's see how long ya can hold yer breath."

~ Turner swings her feet back and forth, gently stirring the grass at her feet. She's dimly aware of what's happening to her meat and a flash of fear chills her at the mention of holding her breath. She pushes it resolutely away, determined to stay put. 'Nothing can hurt me as long as I'm here.' ~

While the tub filled, Lank amused himself by lighting his cigarette and applying the cherry-red butt to sensitive parts of the elf's body. Burns now decorated the insides of her arms, the area behind both ears, and in the hollow of her throat. 'No reaction. She's good. But no amount of hiding in her head will help when she's drownin'.' "Ya done in there?"  
Turk came back into the room. "It's filled." He untied the elf and dragged her unresponsive body into the bathroom. Dropping her so she draped across the edge of the tub, Turk positioned himself up against her back, aroused by the proximity of a helpless victim, grabbed her hair in one meaty fist and pushed her head beneath the water.

~ Turner glances about in apprehension. The sky had darkened suddenly. Standing, she watches in horror as the pond seems to swell, growing larger and larger until it laps at her feet. Turning to run, she's swept off her feet by the water, which quickly rises above her head.  
Suddenly, she finds herself seven years of age again, at the tail end of a family outing, terrified and trapped underneath the pier and unable to escape the cold waters. Panicking, she searches for an escape. With no other option, she comes back to herself, her secret place no longer safe. ~

Turk gave a wide grin as the elf began struggling beneath him. Her hands slipping on the bottom of the tub, frantically trying to raise her head above the water. He leaned in closer for a moment, savoring the scent of fear flowing off her.  
Lank gave a signal and the troll pulled Turner up. She gasped desperately for air, her lungs burning painfully. In mid breath, he forced her back under. She thrashed about, unable to get any leverage, her right hand useless in supporting any weight at all. Water began filling her lungs as her body tried to draw in oxygen that was not available.  
Turk brought her up. Lank waited until she had stopped coughing and asked, almost conversationally, "Will you contact yer friends now?"  
"N - n - ."  
Turk pushed her under again, this time rubbing himself against her, her defiance exciting him. Maybe he'd get to have a different kind of fun with the slitch later. In her panic, Turner brought her heel up sharply in a kick, dangerously close to keeping him from having any fun for quite some time. Angrily, he threw her to the floor and glared at her with daggers in his eyes.  
Coughing and retching, mucus dripping from her nose and water gushing out of her mouth, Turner sobbed. As if from a great distance, she heard Turk state, "I'm gonna frag that slitch." Instinctively, she tried to huddle in on herself.  
Lank stepped forward, placing himself between his partner and the elf. He spoke quietly, his voice almost friendly. "Looks like Turk has taken a liking for you." He studied the figure on the floor, but other than the first knee-jerk reaction, she didn't respond to his comment. "Maybe I'll let him have his fun after all." Still nothing. "'Course, I could call him off, if ya call yer chummers up." Only wheezed breathing answered him.  
A glint shone in the Lank's eyes as he turned to the troll. "Hey, Turk. Ever do it in a tub before?" A wail of denial echoed off the tiles and Lank smiled in satisfaction.

Vixen returned to Mask's after an excursion to Turner's apartment. Catching the two shaman's attention, she waved a hairbrush at them. "Will this do?"  
Mask turned around. "Yeah, put it on the table."  
Karina jumped when the telecom rang. She stared at it a moment, then ran to answer it. Blaze stared back at her, a worried look in his blue eyes. "Mist! Turner called. She said that Lank and Turk want you to meet them at the docks tonight at 22:00. They will trade her for the necklace."  
"Is she ok?" she asked anxiously.  
Blaze shook his head. "She looks awful. Broken nose at least. But she's still alive. You need help?"  
Karina choked down her anger and fear. "No thanks, Vixen and I will handle this. Tell Potshot what's going on and give her a heads up. When we get Turner back we'll bring her there."  
"Will do," he replied.  
Karina hung up and stood there a few minutes, shaking in rage.  
Mask stepped up behind her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Lock it down, girl. Anger gives strength but if you don't control it ,you'll just get yourself killed."  
Karina struggled to follow the advice and finally was able to get control over her emotions. When she did answer it was with a flat, quiet voice. "You coming with us tonight?"  
Mash shook her head regretfully. "Can't, I have a meet I have to be at myself. You'll do fine. Just remember what I told you and be careful."

Vixen left for awhile to talk to Mr. Carti and came back with a faint smile. Then she and Karina spent the rest of the day cleaning weapons and making sure their armor was in good repair. They didn't speak much, each lost in her own thoughts.  
Karina slipped into the medicine lodge that afternoon and spent a couple of hours meditating and then walked across the street to the park and went through her katas one at a time.  
By sundown they were ready to go. Karina grumbled at bit when Mask forced them to eat, but once Mask reminded her that fighting took energy, she quickly settled down and applied herself to the meal. While Vixen arranged for transportation ,Mask and Karina put together a medkit.  
"You don't know how bad off Turner is, so you need to be prepared for the worst. Remember to do first aid before you try any healing spells," Mask told her.  
"I will. Good luck tonight," she said.  
Mask gave her a quick hug. "You too."


	8. Chapter 8

_Do not meddle in the affairs of mages, for they are powerful and you would look good sitting on a lily pad. – Street Proverb_

 

Turner studiously avoided looking down. When a guest of wind started her swinging she was barely able to squelch a full blown panic attack. "Well, on the plus side, the fall will probably kill me before I drown," she muttered to herself. Then to her joy, a cheerful voice rang in her head.  
"No worries, mate. The sharks'll get ya long before ya drown."  
"Oh thank you very much, Vixen, that makes me feel so much better," Turner said sarcastically. Then she wailed, "Get me down!"  
"Workin' on it, mate!"

Vixen and Karina studied the situation carefully. Turner hung by her wrists, suspended over the water from a huge cargo crane. There was no sign of Lank or Turk, but they were obviously there somewhere.  
Vixen glanced over at Karina. "Ya ready?"  
Karina nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do it."  
As they approached the area in front of the dock, Lank stepped out from behind a crate. "Ya got da necklace?"  
Karina reached into her jacket pocket and held up a case. "Right here. Let my chummer go."  
"Open it first," he replied.  
She opened the case and showed him the necklace. "Now let her go."  
"Put it down on da ground and step back," he said.  
Karina dropped the necklace and backed up, keeping her eyes on the ork. As the case hit the ground, she heard a scream. She glanced up in time to see Turner plummet from the crane. She quickly cast a levitate and caught Turner before she could hit the water. Then she moved her over to a warehouse and dropped her onto the roof, just as Lank whipped out his pistol and opened fire. Karina and Vixen dived for cover behind a crate.  
"Gotta split up, mate," Vixen gasped. "Luck." She leapt to her feet and dashed across the open area, firing at Lank as she ran behind a pile of crates. He chased her, trying to get a bead on her.

Karina cautiously raised her head, trying to spot Turk. She screamed in fear as she spotted him barreling down on her position. She turned and ran, leading him deeper into the maze of crates on the dock. She zigzagged through the aisles frantically trying the lose the troll. Finally she turned into a dead end and was trapped. She ran to the end of the aisle and placed her back against the crates.  
The troll stopped and casually leaned up against a crate blocking her escape. "Well, chica, it's jus you and me now i'nt it?" He laughed. "Hey, ya 'member I told ya if ya fragged wit me, I was gonna hurt ya so bad ya'd beg to die? Well, ya fragged me, chica. Bad move. I'm gonna do ya like I done yer chummer. And den I'm gonna rip yer heart out and eat it." She cringed away from him as he moved towards her, laughing at her tears. Then he backhanded her into the crates and reached down and grabbed her by the hair.

Karina's head slammed into the crates. Turk grabbed her hair, and something inside her snapped. She shrieked in rage, cast a levitate on him, and threw him away from her with all her mental strength. She screamed, this time in pain, as a handful of hair was ripped out of her skull. Her head swam from the drain, and she struggled to maintain consciousness, knowing that if she passed out the troll would kill her. She fought it down and turned him upside down, bashing his head into the concrete.  
"That's for Hawk and Michael!" *Slam!* "That's for me!" *Slam!* "And that's for Turner!" *SLAM, SLAM, SLAM*  
She continued beating his head into the ground, lost in rage, until Vixen ran around the corner.  
"Mist, ya can stop now! He's dead, mate!"  
The words finally registered and Karina dropped the body. She looked up at Vixen blankly. Then she shrieked again at the sight of Lank standing behind Vixen. The ork stared at her in horror for a moment before turning to run. The hellblast she threw brushed his back as he dived for cover.

Lank moved quietly down the aisle of crates. He saw the girl dash around a corner and followed her. Then, as he rounded the corner, he stopped and stared in horror at Turk's lifeless corpse. His skull was crushed, blood and brains splattered on the ground. 'What da frag did she do to him?' This slip of a girl stood there in a dead end, only a few bruises and a scrape on her cheek and his partner dead at her feet! When she looked up at her friend, she saw him and gave a piercing shriek. Lank felt his stomach turn over as her face took on an animalistic appearance. Her eyes unfocused for a spilt second, giving him enough warning to dive for cover. He yelled as a wave of heat washed over his back. 'Oh fragging drek! She's a mage! Johnson's not paying me enough to go up against a mage. Gotta get out of here!' He ran back the way he had come. As he ran past the crane he kept enough presence of mind to scoop up the necklace before he headed for his bike.

Karina's head spun and she sagged back against the crates. Her vision blurred, as she felt a raging headache start up behind her eyes. She slid down to sit on the pavement and curled up in a ball, shaking from reaction and drain.  
Vixen knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ya ok, mate?" she asked.  
"Yeah, just give me a minute." Karina rested her head in her hands for a minute, fighting down her nausea. Then she climbed wearily to her feet. "Let's go get Turner and get outta here."  
*Click skkkkkkg* Turner's voice came over weakly on the micro-transceiver, broken up by pain-filled gasps. "Does anyone … on our side … still have a heartbeat?"  
Vixen exchanged glances with Karina. "Yeah, mate."  
There was a slight pause. "Did we win?"  
Karina nodded, forgetting for a moment that Turner couldn't see her. "Yeah."  
"Are they dead?"  
Vixen sighed. "Turk is."  
"Did he suffer?"  
Karina glanced at what used to be a troll and shuddered. "Yeah."  
"Good." Her voice sounded fiercely glad. There was a long drawn out sigh, then, silence.  
Karina blinked. "Turner?" She glanced over at Vixen. " I think she just passed out." She walked a few steps and then stopped. She looked at Vixen, her face white as a sheet. Then her eyes rolled up as she pitched over backward.  
Vixen jumped to catch her, easing her down on the pavement. "Ah, drek, Mist! Not now!" She dug through the medkit until she found a low level stim patch. She slapped it on Karina's neck and waited until it took effect.

Vixen paced up and down the hall outside the clinic. She glanced up at the chrono on the wall. 03:00, five minutes since the last time she had looked. She dropped wearily into a chair set against the wall. Somehow she had gotten Turner and Mist awake and into the car. Then she had driven like a madwoman to get them to Potshot. She leaned her head against the wall and shut her eyes. 'Just rest for a minute. Only for a minute.'

Turner was a mess. Broken nose and cheekbone, three broken ribs, a cracked ankle, crushed hand, both shoulders dislocated, internal bleeding, water in her lungs, and severe bruising and shock. The trauma patch Vixen had slapped on her had saved her life. No doubt about it.  
Mist was a better, only a concussion and scrapes and scratches. Potshot had left her in Blaze's capable hands while she attended Turner. She sighed and turned away from the bed.  
Blaze put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You've done all you can, luv. Now let time and magic finish the job." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "At least they got her back and she's alive."  
"Just barely!" she snapped. "God, how can people do things like this to each other?"  
He shrugged. " I don't know, luv. Just try and remember that there are good people too, and those are the ones we are fighting for."  
She laid her head on his shoulder in mute apology. "It just hurts."  
"I know."  
She gently pulled away and checked on Karina. "Still not awake."  
"I didn't think she would be. She drained herself pretty badly. She'll be fine, though. I healed the concussion so you can let her sleep. Now I'm gonna go check on the other one. She was pacing the hall last time I looked." He grinned. "Wanna bet she's passed out by now?"  
Potshot shook her head. "No bet lover. If she is, bring her in here and we'll put her in the other bed."

Lank sank down on the pile of rags that served as a bed and looked around the small dingy room. A cold breeze blew through a crack in the window. He shivered as the breeze blew across his burned shoulders. He reached into his pocket and brought out the necklace case. 'Least I got this.' His bellow of denial rang through the building as he opened the case and saw the cheap plastic necklace laying on the black velvet.  
He hung his head. 'That's it. I'm dead. Johnson's gonna send dem after me and den de'll kill me.' He shook his head. 'Unless dey can't find me. Yeah, das it. Gotta fade. Now. If I don't check in, it could be months before Johnson figures it out and den I'll be clear.' He stood up and looked out the window. It was going to be a long night. He turned around and started gathering his things. Then he headed out and faded into the night, heading deeper in the Pulyallup Barrens.


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

 

Karina shook hands with Tomas Carti. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, sir." She took a last look at the necklace and walked out of the museum , a bounce in her step. When she got back to the car she sat there a moment. Vixen and Turner waited impatiently for her to say something.  
Finally Turner spoke up. "Well? Was it the real thing?"  
Karina smiled at them. "Yep! Here ya go. Three million apiece." She tossed them two cred sticks, and grinned at their exuberant response. It had been a hard run but she felt more alive than ever before. She laughed then from sheer joy as Vixen started the car and headed for Mask's apartment.

Mask sat back in her chair and smiled in satisfaction. Her eyes shined in delight. Turner still moved a bit stiffly, but she was going to be fine. And Karina had a quiet confidence about her that hadn't been there before. Vixen was the same old Vixen, flashy and happily designing her new deck. All her girls were going to be fine. "So, what are you going to do with it?" she asked.  
Turner grinned. "Send some of it home to Mom. Man, is she going to be surprised."  
Mask chuckled. "I bet. How about you, Vixen?"  
Vixen looked surprised for a moment. "New deck, of course." Then she added, "And replace my car. After that, I don't know. Maybe travel a bit. We'll see." She shrugged.  
Mask nodded. "Mist, what about you?"  
"Go to school," she said promptly. "And get my own place."  
"Good," Mask said. "I was going to suggest that if you weren't sure what you wanted. Well, it seems like you all have it planned out. Good job, chummers."

Karina walked down the hall and knocked softly on the door. After a moment it opened and she slipped through. Poss looked her over for a moment and motioned her to take a seat. "So, is it over?" he asked.  
She nodded happily. "Yes." Then she filled him in on the events of the run.  
He listened carefully, growling in anger when she told him about Turner's injuries. "She's ok now?"  
"Yes. She'll be fine. Though I think she's gonna avoid bathtubs for awhile." She smiled in reassurance. "Poss, will you give this to the shelter for me?" She handed him a cred stick. "I would like it to be set up as some kind of fund to help kids like me get a new start. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there for me."  
"Of course," he said. He glanced down and started in surprise at the amount. "Thank you, Mist," he said gratefully. "The shelter can do a lot with a million nuyen. You did keep some for yourself, didn't you?"  
"Yes, I'm going to enroll at the university and get an apartment near Mask. She asked me to stay with her, but I think I want someplace I can call my own."  
Poss nodded. "That's a great idea. Keep in touch, will you?"  
She grinned. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. I still have a lot to learn from you guys." She stood up and headed for the door, then stopped and turned back. "Thanks Poss…. For everything."  
"You're welcome, Mist."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you goes to everyone who helped me with this story.
> 
> To David and Kim: Thank you for putting up with me all these months. I couldn't have written this without your love and support. Thanks David also, for the loan of Poss and the soup kitchen.
> 
> To Jennifer: Thank you for your help with plotting , the torture scene, and for all those cups of coffee at IHOP and for your patience when I needed to go over it yet again. Most especially for the loan of Turner. I now return her to you, a bit bumped and battered but definitely richer. :-)
> 
> To Shapcano and Decker M : Thanks chummers, for giving me back my enthusiasm. Without your encouragement I'm not sure I would have finished this.
> 
> To June and Norcumi : Thank you for all the hours you put in proofing this for me. Thank you for all your comments and suggestions and Yes, Norcumi, I know that Mister Comma is our friend. Thank goodness you know where they all go.
> 
> And lastly to the staff of IHOP: Thank you for keeping the light on, the coffee hot and our table clear. And for asking "How's the story coming?" That kept it fresh and exciting. I hope you guys enjoy this.
> 
> Aislinn
> 
> The End. There ain't no more.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first attempt at an original fic and my very first Shadowrun story. I wrote it way back in the '90s.


End file.
